Labor Council Response to U-T San Diego Column on Chargers Stadium Search

SAN DIEGO - San Diego Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Lorena Gonzalez made the following statement today in response to Nick Canepa's column in U-T San Diego:

"While the San Diego Labor Movement is generally supportive of both expanding the Convention Center and building a new Chargers Stadium, we feel there are a host of community benefits that need to be addressed before either move forward.

"Plans for both projects will require the use of taxpayer dollars and public land and, we believe, such substantial investment by the San Diego community must be met with an equally significant benefit for the community.

"To ensure the community a return on its investment, we believe there must be a written agreement requiring the use of local workers on those projects along with training opportunities in the construction trades for our city's unemployed. We believe that there must be a discussion and commitment to raising the job quality of the tourism jobs that would be created as a result of either project to stop the race to the bottom seen in the service sector. And we are absolutely opposed to any change of operations or marketing of the Convention Center Corporation that would lead to the privatization of this public asset due to turning over control of the board to wealthy hoteliers.

"As of now, neither project addresses these concerns, but we look forward to working with any groups that are willing to encourage responsible economic growth."

For more information, contact Patrick Pierce, Communications Director of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council at (619) 228-8101 ext. 226 or ppierce@unionyes.org.

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SAN DIEGO AND IMPERIAL COUNTIES LABOR COUNCIL

The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO includes 134 affiliated labor groups in the region with a membership of more than 192,000 working families.

Founded in 1891, the Labor Council advocates for more jobs, better jobs and better lives for all of San Diego's workers – union and non-union.

www.unionyes.org