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Area laborers picket Pizza Ranch build

Nearly 20 area union workers gathered on Seminary Street today to picket construction of the upcoming Pizza Ranch. Protesters held signs draped with messages like “local workers support local businesses” and “do not patronize Pizza Ranch.”

Spokesman and Tri-City Building Trades worker Rory Washburn told WGIL the group organized to protest the import of non-local contractors hired for the project.

“It is our opinion that if a company is going to be coming into our community and asking our community to support it by asking our families to come here to feed them and support their business, the very least they could do is use our community to build the facility,” Washburn.

Hastco Construction of Topeka, Kansas is the main contractor, according to their website. Washburn does say some local laborers have been hired for the build, but claims the project was privately bid, barring many local contractors.

“We’ve got a pretty significant group of workers coming in from outside the area to build this facility.”

Washburn adds that a number of attempts to reach out to the company and voice their concerns have been unsuccessful. WGIL reached out to Pizza Ranch this afternoon, though they did not have information on the project readily available. 

According to information provided by picketers, the group is associated with the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters.

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