The Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council has unanimously endorsed a “YES” vote on the three upcoming ballot questions asking voters in Independence, MO to approve $197 million in general obligation (G.O.) bonds on April 8th, 2025. The funding will be used for capital improvement projects, including a new justice center, purchasing of an animal shelter building, repairing streets, bridges, culverts, and sidewalks, updates to three historic sites, and renovations to the outdoor athletic complex. This is the first-ever G.O. Bond in the history of the City of Independence and will be presented to voters in three questions.
“We are asking our membership and the public to vote “YES” on each question to approve these general obligation bonds to provide critical infrastructure and jobs to an essential part of our region,” said Ralph Oropeza, Business Manager of the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council. “Independence is serious about tackling infrastructure deficiencies and our membership, made up of your neighbors, is ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
The Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council is composed of local building & construction trades unions that employ, train, and protect local workers. The unions within the council have proudly built every notable project within the Kansas City-metro for decades, backed by state-of-the-art apprenticeships. The council is composed of SMART Local 2, Plumbers Local 8, Ironworkers Local 10, IUEC Local 12, BAC Local 15, Roofers Local 20, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 27, Boilermakers Local 83, IUOE Local 101, IBEW Local 124, Sprinkler Fitters Local 314, OPCMIA Local 518, Pipe Fitters Local 533, Teamsters Local 541, and Sprinkler Fitters Local 669.
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
