New Sixers arena could improve diversity in Philly construction, union says

The head of Philadelphia’s carpenters union says the proposed Sixers arena will help make more strides towards diversifying their ranks.

Diversity among workers in the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters apprenticeship program has more than doubled in the past six years, said William C. Sproule, the union’s executive secretary-treasurer.

“We’ve gone from somewhere in and around 10% minority participation in our apprenticeship, in the Philadelphia region to 25%, and that’s a very significant number for that short period of time,” he said.

Sproule said these are good paying jobs. Their apprentices start at $18 an hour, and those who graduate the program begin at $53 an hour with benefits and a pension.

“It’s not like it was in the ‘80s and the ‘90s where everybody knew that these were great jobs. I think that’s just the advent of ‘everyone’s got to go out and get a college degree,’” Sproule said. “Our apprenticeship program is now in the process of being accredited where we are actually, in another year or so, our apprentices [will be] graduating with an associate’s degree.”

The union head said he foresees many veteran members retiring soon, leaving plenty of room for advancement through the ranks. But for that to happen, it needs to bring in new members so they can be trained by those planning to retire.

“That will enable them to actually advance on to those leadership positions that I described within construction companies. It’s very critical that you have a skilled workforce that can get the job done on time, on budget, safely,” Sproule said.

He added that the union won’t be alone in expanding its workforce with the expected approval of the arena project.

The demolition work will be handled by laborers, who will need additional help, and electricians and other members of the building trades will want to hire more for the massive undertaking. Sproule said these are just some examples of the “good-paying” jobs people are constantly saying are needed in the Philadelphia region.

“When you’re a young man or a young woman and you’re looking for a career path and you’re not necessarily college-bound, 10 years later they turn around and say it’s the best thing they’ve ever done,” he said.

The arena project received preliminary approval last week in Philadelphia City Council, despite vehement opposition from the neighborhoods surrounding the site on Market East. Full City Council approval is expected this Thursday, and a signature by Mayor Cherelle Parker is anticipated since she hammered out the agreement with the team.

Opponents of the arena counter that the deal struck with the team will come at a tremendous cost, not just to Chinatown and other areas nearby, but to the city as a whole.

After last week’s initial approval, Reclaim Philly executive director Seth Anderson Oberman called the vote a “disappointment.”

“This is an incredibly sad day for Philadelphia. As someone who was born and raised in this city and has deep love for my city, I just watched my City Council sell out this entire city,” he said Wednesday. “This is the kind of deal that sets us up for years and years of austerity budgets, cuts to schools, cuts to transportation, this is a horrible deal.”

The arena deal includes provisions for a community benefits agreement worth $60 million and an economic opportunity plan designed to ensure the arena is built and supported by a diverse workforce.

Members of the No Arena Coalition argued for a much larger CBA, at $300 million, saying that anything less “sells our city to the lowest bidder.”

“No deal slapped together in the 11th hour is a good one for Philly. Council is selling out to go on a holiday break when our city needs champions – not Grinches,” the coalition said in a statement last week.