IN reporter Sean Boone interviewed the protesters:
Members of International Union of Painters and Allied Trades stood outside the Saenger Theatre on Tuesday morning to protest the use of out-of-town contracted painters for its building renovations.
“They are using a lot of people from up north,” says IUPAT Local Union head Scott Kilpatrick. “One gentleman (working on the site) said he was making $26 an hour, which is considerably more than we generally make in this area.”
Approximately 15 union members on both sides of the building held signs and passed out fliers that expressed their concern with the Eugenio Painting Company, which is based out of Michigan.
According to Kilpatrick, 10-15 jobs that could have been done by local painters were awarded to the company.
“It is a message we think we need to get out in the area,” says Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick says the average pay for local painters for a project such as this is $16 dollars an hour plus benefits. He says that not only are the out-of-town painters making more than them, but they are also being housed at hotels while they are working here.
“Almost everyone weve talked to on the street has been in agreement with us,” he says. “We really just want to put local people to work. Simple as that.”