Rally on Broadway

Union coalition will rate development projects

By Jeff Kiger

The Post-Bulletin

After wrapping up a day's work revamping the Galleria Mall in downtown Rochester, many construction workers headed for the sidewalk out front Wednesday afternoon.

They joined other workers and supporters on Broadway for a union rally to announce a new coalition. A crowd of about 150 people wearing hard-hats and carrying empty lunch coolers cheered as local labor leaders Wes Urevig and Russell Hess announced the formation of The Rochester Coalition for Quality Development.

The coalition, comprised of the 16 Rochester area trade unions, plans to look at the large number of development projects coming to the community. "We'll evaluate them to find the good developments and the bad developments. If good, we will thank them. If bad, we let the community know about it," Urevig said. Using union workers with their additional training and better wages is certainly key to becoming a positive project, he said.

Now the coalition represents 2,600 members, although Urevig says its leaders are in talks with two large groups that could expand its numbers up to 30,000.

Hess earlier said the group will be creative in rewarding developments it favors and spotlighting those it sees as having problems. That means abandoning traditional picketing for leaflettings and door-to-door campaigning, he said. Hess stressed that the group is not against development, but projects need to be "good" ones. Besides Urevig and Hess, local DFL lawmakers Andy Welti and Tine Liebling also spoke to the crowd as cars and trucks roared by. Kim Norton also attended; she did not speak because she just came from a dentist appointment. Urevig told the crowd that "many of your fathers and grandfathers built these buildings. We want your sons and daughters to be able to build the future."

Mission statement 

The Rochester Coalition for Quality Development works to strengthen our community's future. We will insist on development and construction practices that promote high standards of quality, education, safety and economic justice to ensure that Rochester's future will be built on a solid foundation.