The Sacramento Central Labor Council has rallied support and pressed the Sacramento Mayor, Kevin Johnson, and the City Council to delay approving entitlements for businesses surrounding the new Kings arena. The group of unions and their supporters are hoping that by delaying the entitlements, they will be able to seek more ?public benefits? from the businesses hoping to enjoy the economic boost of proximity to the new arena. Those ?benefits? include assurances that some of the businesses, especially the hotel, will have unionized workforces. Unite Here Local 49 is pushing especially hard for unionization of the businesses because it will ?raise the living standards and job quality? in the area. Although the city is contributing $258 million toward the arena, it has not budgeted any monies toward the development of the nearby properties.
See "Unions press for commitments on development near new arena", Dale Kasler, The Sacramento Bee, April 9, 2014