Austin council tells staff to favor local stagehands in rebuilt Convention Center contracts

When the Austin Convention Center reopens after its rebuild, the city wants more of the stagehands, riggers and technicians who work its events to come from Austin. On Thursday the City Council passed a resolution telling staff to favor local and certified workers when they write the next round of contracts.

The resolution is item 40, record 26-2936. It passed on the consent agenda, which the council adopted without objection, with Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison absent. For the workers who set up shows there, the preferences could affect whether those jobs come with benefits and safety training, which speakers said non-union stage work often lacks.

What the resolution does

According to KXAN's report, the resolution tells the city manager to give preference, "to the greatest extent feasible," to bidders that use:

• workers who live in Austin or the Greater Austin metro area;
• labor providers recognized by the Entertainment Technician Certification Program, a credential for stage and production crews.

Hoodline reported that it also asks City Manager T.C. Broadnax to look at apprenticeships in rigging, technical production, decorating and carpentry. It is direction to staff, so the actual terms will be set when the city puts the work out to bid.

What was said at the meeting

Council Member Vanessa Fuentes is the resolution's primary sponsor. Our record lists Council Members José Velásquez, Mike Siegel, Ryan Alter and Zohaib "Zo" Qadri as co-sponsors.

Fuentes told colleagues that the Tourism Commission had heard from IATSE Local 205, the stagehands' union, that some workers lost up to 70% of their work after the old center closed. She said the new center will be twice as big. The resolution, she said, gives staff direction "as we develop this, the solicitations to rebid this work next year." She pointed to two letters of support added to the item's backup, from IATSE Local 205 and the Austin Central Labor Council. Our record of the item lists both letters with the draft resolution.

Siegel thanked Fuentes and said city-funded work should create jobs that are "family sustaining, safe, and dignified."

Four people spoke in favor during public comment, starting here. They included union stagehands who said much non-union stage work is done as 1099 contract jobs, without benefits or retirement. Our meeting summary lists no speakers against it.

The bigger project

The rebuilt center will cost about $1.6 billion and is expected to open in early 2029, Hoodline reported. At the council's Oct. 20 work session, Capital Delivery Services staff said construction at the convention center is scheduled to end in early 2028 and that mass excavation is complete.

What's next

Under the resolution, staff will build the local-hire and certification preferences into the solicitations Fuentes said will go out next year. Any of those contracts that come to the council for a vote will appear on our legislation page.