Our client, Workers Defense Project, deserves a major pat on the back for a recent victory for low-income workers in Austin. They were able to negotiate an 11th-hour agreement with a prominent developer on a new development on the site of the old Green Water Treatment Plant.
A little background: The city had been in negotiations with the developer, Trammell Crow, for about four years. This site includes some highly coveted downtown space that will now become a $500 million office, retail and housing space along Lady Bird Lake.
But first, it needs to be built.
This is where Workers Defense Project comes into the story. After negotiating with the developer for the last two months for fair wages and guaranteed hiring from bilingual training programs, talks were at a standstill. The great people at WDP changed that by bringing out the community to the City Council meeting and making a strong case for including their cause in the agreement.
Thanks to their effort to bring out community laborers, families and advocates, along with Austin City Councilmember Laura Morrison, Trammell Crow agreed to not only agreed to let WDP monitor workers’ welfare at the site each pay period, but also having a goal to hire 20 percent of workers from bilingual training programs and paying them $16 per hour.
So, here’s to another victory for one of our awesome clients and a victory for supporting small businesses and nonprofits here at home!
For more details, check out this Austin Chronicle article.