PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A planned vote on a new 10‑year lease for the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) headquarters was delayed after union members raised concerns about what they call an “unhealthy workspace.”
The Special State Properties Committee was set to approve the lease for 101 Friendship St. in Providence during Tuesday’s meeting, but questions from SEIU Local 580—the union representing roughly 300 DCYF employees— prompted the panel to postpone the vote and schedule a public comment session. A date has not yet been announced.
Union members claim the building, a retrofitted former jewelry factory, has been plagued by health complaints for decades and subjected to three federal investigations. They argue it was never intended for “safe, modern office use” and its lease should not be extended…