Boston – The HYM Investment Group, Building Trades Unions and John Moriarty & Associates announced they have signed an unprecedented Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the construction of the Suffolk Downs Redevelopment.
This partnership was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the signatories, along with Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo, and Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards.
The agreement will ensure Suffolk Downs is union-built and will create 14,000 construction jobs. The 16 million sq. ft. development will include 10,000 units of housing, including more affordable units than have ever been created in Boston by a single project.
As part of the agreement, the parties announced that HYM will furnish $2 million in investments that will go towards supporting employment pipelines to quality, union careers and to prepare local residents to join the future workforce at Suffolk Downs.
The innovative approach set forth by the new PLA will provide funds to create new pathways to the building trades for even more workers and traditionally underrepresented communities.
One program benefiting from those investments will be Building Pathways. Originally founded by city of Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, the program increases participation and access in the construction industry for women and people of color through apprenticeship preparedness, training and advocacy.
In addition to the $1 million that will be invested in Building Pathways, a portion of the $2 million investment in workforce development will fund an initiative to provide access to nonstandard hour child care for working parents in the trades through the efforts of the Care that Works campaign.
In addition, HYM and JMA are also pledging $1 million to skill-building initiatives for East Boston and Revere, to ensure that more local residents have the skills necessary to fill future employment roles at Suffolk Downs. The development team will work with the city of Boston Office of Workforce Development to invest in workforce training programs such as ESL classes, teaching soft skills, and computer and technical training to make sure the local community can join the future workforce of Suffolk Downs.
