On August 21st, the board of the Platte County R-3 School District voted six to zero, with one abstaining, to approve a contract with JE Dunn’s recommended non-union sub-contractor Questec Mechanical to perform the mechanical scope of work in the construction of the new Northland Workforce Development Center.
The Northland Workforce Development Center, a project that local unions advocated for and donated to, is receiving over $52.8 million in your taxpayer dollars. Now, over $10.2 million of your money will go to pay a non-union mechanical contractor that will drag down area standards. Eighteen different bids were received for the mechanical work, with the closest union bid only about 3% off.
The board members who voted to approve this mechanical contract to non-union Questec Mechanical are:
- Sharon Sherwood
- Alisha Elliott
- Shawn Chiddix
- Tyler Fadler
- Amy MacCuish
- Matt Craine
Karen Bryant, the seventh boad member who seconded the motion to approve the contract, voted to abstain.
According to public documents, the school district board believes that the decision to hire this non-union contractor aligns with “Strategy 5” of their “Strategic Plan,” which says that the school district will “partner with the community and establish opportunities for the betterment of our students…”
There is a reason why the best contractor isn’t just the lowest bid. When you select a union contractor, you’re picking a workforce that you know is in this area, pays local taxes, and that the union workers actively support a state-of-the-art apprenticeship program that lifts up and trains the next generation of workers in their craft.
Hiring a union contractor would also mean empowering local workers with higher wages, better benefits, and stability into retirement. Platte County’s school board has chosen to short change the future of its own community over a tiny cost saving on a project that will cost nearly $74 million.
That is the exact angle that union leaders, like Pipefitters Local 533’s Kevin Hendrickson, spoke at length about when he testified before the school board.
“I think that a lot of the public is unaware of how apprenticeship programs operate and how they are funded,” said Hendrickson, who testified that many of 2,100 members, including 400 apprentices, are Platte County residents and some even came out of the Northland Career Center. “Our apprentices have a pathway to completetion, they start out as a first year apprentice. There is a pathway. “After so many hours of classroom training and so many hours of on-the-job training, they advance to the next level. They complete the apprenticeship and earn journeyman status They complete the apprenticeship and earn journeyman status. We have, roughly, sixty staff members who provide training. Our staff consist of our journeyman members, who also went through the apprenticeship program and work full-time jobs as pipefitters during the day, they offer their time in the evening to teach our up and coming apprentices. All of this is paid for, not by state funding, not by county funding, not by city funding, but every one of our 2,100 members has agreed that a portion of their negotiated wages will go towards the training of the apprentices.”
Hendrickson then turned to the audience, acknowledging he was not supposed to directly address them, but stated that there are youth in the audience tonight and explained that if Local 533’s contractors aren’t hired, then that will take opportunities away from youth who want to join an apprenticeship. Less work hours for members means less opportunities for new members.
“I ask you for sake of the youth of your community, to give them a career opportunity in your community, to put a focus on contractors who have Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs,” added Kevin Hendrickson, who said that Pipefitters Local 533 may now have to reconsider continuing to attend job fairs at the Northland Career Center.
The Northland Career Center is something that organized labor has long supported, adding salt to the wound. Local unions regularly attend career fairs here for students and have actively sought to support the institution over the years, understanding the critical role it can play in preparing the next generation of trades workers.
Multiple union members also testified in front of Kansas City, MO’s city council in favor of the project.
Local municipalities have given a total of $25.811 million, including $25 million just from Kansas City, MO. If you live in Gladstone, Parkville, Riverside, Smithville, or Clay County generally, your government also kicked in tax dollars to this project, on top of the State of Missouri contributing $37 million. The project has raised close to $68.6 million total.
Multiple area unions also donated to the Northland Career Center, including Iron Workers Local 10, IBEW Local 124, Mid America Carpenter’s Union, Operating Engineers Local 101, and Sheet Metal Workers Local 2.
So far, Pipefitters Local 533 and Plumbers Local 8 have found out they are bad on the project. Sheet Metal Workers Local 2 and Insulators Local 27 are still waiting to find out how this impacts them.
“For over a decade now, we have been strong supporters of the Northland Career Center. Our instructors have worked with their’s to make their material have better real-world applications. We attend all of their career fairs so their students know about the union path. And at the end of the day, by selecting this contractor, they are selecting a contractor that has not been a supportive part of their student’s career development,” said Matt Harris, Business Manager of Plumbers Local 8, who referenced the shirts and stickers that his union has recently put out, emblazoned with a slogan saying to “Support those who support you.”
In the aftermath of the decision, Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council Business Manager Ralph Oropeza expressed frustration and disappointment with the school district.
“Just remember, everytime these general contractors go with the cheapest and less qualified workforce, unions have to say no to an applicant who wishes to better themselves through the apprenticeships paid for by our union trades. I’m getting tired of school districts wanting our help for career development, but turning their backs to us when the work begins,” said Oropeza, who attended the school board meeting alongside officials from Plumbers Local 8, Pipefitters Local 533, and IBEW Local 124.
“We need you to demand better from your school districts, it’s not about the bottom dollar, it’s about apprenticeship opportunities that turn into long lasting careers for these students,” added Oropeza.
Northland Councilmembers Voice Frustration
Two of Kansas City, MO’s City Councilmembers immediately went on record against the decision by the schoolboard to approve non-union workers on this taxpayer funded project.
“It is sad that a hometown construction company like JE Dunn chooses to spend Kansas City taxpayers money with non-union companies who traditionally pay low wages with limited benefits. The Building Trades championed this project and invested, time, money and political capital to get this project off the ground,” said Kansas City, MO 1st At-Large Councilman Kevin O’Neill. “I could not get myself to attend the ribbon cutting after that sort of betrayal. I can tell you this, I will make sure that Fair Contractors Alliance, our compliance arm, is on that job every chance they get to make sure these non-union companies are in compliance with payrolls, benefits and other job site regulations!”
“I’m extremely disappointed that local union labor was not selected for this portion of the project. Many of their members not only contributed financially but also supported the fundraising and political efforts that helped move this initiative forward,” said 1st In-District City Councilman Nathan Willett, who’s council district overlaps heavily with the school district. “This was a meaningful opportunity to give back to the very workers, and their families, who helped bring the development center to life. I firmly believe the family members of the students who will attend this center, many of whom are skilled local tradespeople, should have had the chance to help build it. While I acknowledge that union labor will still be used for most of the project, this decision is a missed opportunity to fully honor the community’s investment and trust. It’s disheartening and, frankly, it doesn’t sit right.”
Councilmember Kevin O’Neill has long been been an outspoken ally to labor for over three decades now and is the Editor Emeritus of The Labor Beacon.
Councilmember Nathan Willett, a Republican, has consistently been a reliable vote for organized labor while on City Council. Willett is also now running for Missouri State Senate District 34.
Platte County R-3 School Board’s Lawyerly Response
The Labor Beacon individually reached out to each member of the Platte County School Board to allow them to explain their vote. Rather than respond as individuals, the Platte County R-3 School Board president, Matt Craine, responded to our request for comment for the group with a mechanical, response expressing gratitude for union help, but without remorse for the outcome that hurts union workers. Craine’s response does correctly mention JE Dunn’s involvement in this matter.
“As the Platte County R-3 Board President, I am responding to your inquiry on behalf of the board. The Platte County R-3 Board of Education appreciates all partners in our community, and especially those who have supported the opportunities that we are growing at our Northland Workforce Development Center. Union contractors and organizations have partnered and supported this project in numerous ways, and for that, we are extremely grateful. When it comes to procuring the work, the Platte County R-3 School District is required to follow state statutes and laws. In this instance, through the District’s Construction Manager at Risk, the company that was recommended and approved by the District for the two scopes you referenced in your request presented the lowest bid. The Construction Manager recommended the company, indicating that they provided the lowest bid, that their bid was responsive to the request, and that they were qualified to do the work. As such, the District was obligated to comply with statutory requirements, and failure to do so could delay the entire project. These decisions were not made lightly. As the District and our community move forward, we know this project will have a meaningful impact on our workforce and provide countless opportunities to the students who attend. We hope to continue to partner and work with local trades and organizations in realizing those goals and outcomes,” said Matt Craine.
Tyler Fadler, Sharon Sherwood, and Amy MacCuish were all elected with roughly one thousand votes each in 2023 and are all up for reelection in April of 2026. Karen Bryant and Matt Craine’s terms expire in 2027. Alisha Elliott and Shawn Chiddix are in office until 2028.
