Ahead of Council Votes, FPC Announces Labor Agreements for Concert Venues

The Milwaukee Bucks, FPC Live and other project partners are applying a full-court public relations press in advance of upcoming Common Council votes on a proposed two-venue concert complex across from Fiserv Forum.

The team announced multiple voluntary labor agreements Monday morning that will cover everyone from construction workers to bartenders at the complex.

“Big, impactful projects require partnerships,” said FPC CEO Joel Plant at a press conference held at the proposed site of the $50 million complex. Focused on live music acts with primarily standing crowds, the complex would have halls with capacities of 800 and 4,000 people.

Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization President Peter Rickman, who also helped organize workers at Fiserv Forum and businesses in Deer District, said a labor agreement would help transform the city from a center for low-wage service sector work to one of shared prosperity. Rickman credited the Bucks-MASH agreement for Fiserv Forum as a catalyst for the FPC Live agreement and other agreements in the city. “They cast the mold for future developments as well,” said the labor leader. He said the labor peace agreement with FPC, a precursor to a formal contract, happened “pretty painlessly.”

Rickman and Plant said the vision is for the “hundreds” of part-time workers at the new concert venues to pair that job with other part-time work at Fiserv Forum and Deer District to create full-time or full-time equivalent positions. Plant said 18 full-time jobs would be created directly by the complex itself.

“Voting yes, means voting for more good union jobs for residents of our who need them the most,” said Rickman, implicitly acknowledging why the press conference was called when it was. In two weeks, the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee is expected to vote on a zoning package for the development. The full council would vote a week later. What is being formally approved is the design of the complex, but a City Plan Commission hearing two weeks ago veered into discussions of concert industry economics even after city officials warned the commission was only to consider land use.

Should the council approve the building design, Mayor Cavalier Johnson is certain to sign in. He publicly endorsed the proposal when it was announced in May and again joined development partners Monday. “An announcement like this is always positive news,” said Johnson of what he said would be “good jobs that pay a fair wage.”

But a coalition, with backing from The Rave and Pabst Theater Group, is working to block the venue. Known as Save MKE’s Music Scene, the group is led by public relations executive Craig Peterson and has raised concerns about everything from crime to anti-competitive practices. Madison-based Frank Productions would own and operate the facility through its FPC Live subsidiary, a partnership of Frank and the nation’s largest concert promoter and ticketing company Live Nation. Ticketmaster is also part of Live Nation.

Milwaukee Buildings and Construction Trade Council President Dan Bukiewicz said a labor agreement with the general contracting partnership of Miron Construction and JCP Construction would “up the game” before the venues were even finished. Though no direct subsidy is proposed, the development will comply with the standard city contracting requirements for subsidized developments. That includes having 40% of the project’s work hours completed by unemployed or underemployed Milwaukee residents and 25% of the project’s contracting completed by disadvantaged or minority-owned businesses. Bukiewicz said the partnership goes beyond the standard requirements though, it also includes having 15% of the project performed by apprentices and 5% by women. Bukiewicz said that would create more job opportunities.

“This is a very newsworthy day,” said the construction labor leader to the wide array of media members in attendance for what was billed as a “major announcement.”

Frank Productions co-president Charlie Goldstone reiterated the FPC’s stated belief that its new venues would be a win for Milwaukee’s live music scene. “We think that a rising tide is going to lift all boats,” said Goldstone. The company, which operates several venues in Madison and a handful in other cities, has repeatedly said there is a market for new venues in Milwaukee.

Rickman and MASH meanwhile continue to negotiate with Pabst Theater Group on a labor agreement for its venues, including the Pabst Theater, Turner Hall and Riverside Theater. MASH, Rickman said, hopes to complete the agreements in advance of the three-day series of Widespread Panic concerts planned for later this month. “We’ve negotiated the vast majority of the first contract,” said the labor leader. Workers voted overwhelmingly to unionize earlier this year. The agreement would cover the hospitality, box office and event staff at each of PTG’s venues.

When the Bucks and FPC Live announced in May that FPC had switched its proposed venue from the Historic Third Ward to the former Bradley Center site, Rickman, FPC and Bucks officials said the new venues would be covered by a labor agreement similar to Fiserv Forum, but that details needed to be worked out.

The new development would only occupy approximately one-third of the 7.2-acre Bradley Center site, bounded by Fiserv Forum, W. State St., N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. and N. 6th St. The Bucks own the site after demolishing the arena and are pursuing development for the remainder of the property.

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