AFSCME Local 440 Files Grievance Against Joliet City Hall Over Rock Run Collection Megadevelopment

JOLIET, IL — Joliet's new Rock Run Collection development along Interstate 55 has blossomed in recent years, bringing a new Hollywood Casino Joliet and a Chipotle Mexican Grill, but not everyone is thrilled with the progress. Some of the biggest opponents of what's going on behind the scenes are city of Joliet employees who belong to AFSCME Local 440.

This week, Joliet Patch confirmed that Local 440 filed a labor grievance against the City of Joliet concerning the Rock Run Collection megadevelopment. Two city of Joliet department heads were named in the grievance, Dustin Anderson, Joliet's community development director, and Don Pallissard, Joliet's long-time director of building services and inspections.

The grievance dispute pertains to Local 440 city of Joliet employees being able to conduct inspections on the buildings being erected as part of the Rock Run Collection development spearheaded by Diane Cullinan Oberhelman, Chairman of Cullinan Properties.

On May 1, Joliet Patch broke the news regarding plans for a new DICK's House of Sport that will be built at the Rock Run Collection along Interstate 55 at Interstate 80.

This week, following a Joliet Patch Freedom of Information Act request, the city of Joliet released a copy of the grievance filed by AFSCME Local 440 regarding the controversy over the building inspections.

"The Community Development Department is utilizing third party contractors Strand & Associates, HR Green and International Code Council for plan review and inspections for the Rock Run Collection development," the grievance filed against City Hall declared.

Joliet City Manager Notified Of Labor Grievance Late June

On the portion of the form labeled relief review, Local 440 wrote, "Work to be done and retained by AFSCME Local 440 employees and not to be outsourced to any third party and make all parties whole."

Incidentally, Anderson's days of overseeing one of Joliet's largest departments at City Hall came to a sudden and abrupt end last week. City officials have not disclosed what led to Anderson's departure. He joined Joliet in the spring of 2024 after being the town manager for several years in Munster, Indiana.

Documents show that Joliet City Manager Beth Beatty was tendered a copy of the Local 440 labor grievance on June 25. On Tuesday, before publishing the story, Joliet Patch reached out to Sydney Thompson, the city's director of media engagement and communications, in regard to Local 440's grievance against the City Hall.

She responded later with the following statement, "From the city's perspective, the union is no longer pursuing that grievance."

On paper, the Local 440 labor grievance against the city of Joliet remains ongoing. It's considered to be in Stage 2. If both sides are not able to work out an agreement, it could eventually go to arbitration for a decision.

In any event, the DICK's House of Sport retail store would be the latest addition to the growing Joliet development.

Last August marked the grand opening for the new Hollywood Casino Joliet. This year, Rock Run Collection opened its new apartment buildings called The View. A Ricky Rocketts gas station and convenience store was built, and ground was broken in April for a new seven-story Drury Plaza Hotel that is being constructed directly in front of the Hollywood Casino.

On the opposite side of the road, on Gateway Boulevard, is a new Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant. A new Culver's restaurant and a Chick-fil-A are expected to be built and opened later this year near the Chipotle. This month the Joliet City Council approved plans for a Hawaiian Bros. Island Grill restaurant that will go near the cluster of nationally known fast-food restaurants.