Where Wings, Winter, and Union Workers Reign: New Bills Stadium Rises

BAC craftworkers are leading the charge to complete Western New York's highest-profile construction project – one that will be visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year, and seen by hundreds of millions more across the world on television every fall. The NFL's Buffalo Bills plan to move into their new Highmark Stadium in 2026.

This sports arena will be state of the art – a big upgrade from their current home, which was built in the 1970s. Engineered to prevent strong Lake Erie winds from affecting on-field conditions, the stadium will have a canopy protecting a majority of seats – though not the field itself – from snow and rain. These features will also add to its ability to hold major concerts and other events. 

At a ceremony in April celebrating the raising of the final beam for the stadium, Buffalo Bills team owner Terry Pegula hailed the workers on the project, saying, "Today is not about Terry Pegula, [New York Governor] Kathy Hochul, [Erie County Executive] Mark Poloncarz, or [NFL Commissioner] Roger Goodell – today is about you hard-working men and women."

For Tom Gilmore, a foreman for Tiede Zoeller Tile Corp. – who previously worked on the Buffalo Sabres hockey arena – this has been another opportunity to build a Buffalo icon for a Pegula-owned team. "I am thankful to have been a part of Mr. Pegula's vision for our community," he said. 

Working Around Other Trades While on a Tight Deadline

The project's immense scope is a constant challenge for the workers – even moving from one spot on the jobsite to another location in the stadium can be time-consuming. As all the contractors involved race to finish in time for the 2026 NFL season, BAC members are constantly working around other trades.

"It's fast-paced, a lot of people working on top of each other,” Drew Christensen, a BAC member of almost 15 years, and a foreman for Thomas Johnson Inc., explained. “So, there's a lot of getting along and working with other trades, as with your own members." 

In his role as foreman, Christensen balances active supervision of his larger-than-usual team and his own hands-on work on the layouts. “There's a lot of elevator shafts, a lot of stairwells, so my role as a foreman is I have to go ahead of the men and women and lay the walls out, and get the rebar drilled into the floor,” Christensen said. At the same time, "you have to walk from area to area to area, checking on your team and make sure that everything's being done right, because you don't want a wall to be torn down." 

As work moved from the mezzanine level to the 300 level, "everything changed,” Christensen continued. “There are different rods, different depths for drilling – which is understandable, but you have to pay constant attention, so everything's done to spec." 

Jessica Weber, a member starting her fifth year and journeyed out last June, divides her time between firestopping, installing air vapor barrier, and caulking the joints where the precast comes together in the stadium. “If another trade gets into the spot first and they put stuff up in the ceiling, now we have to get our lift up in there, and that's really tricky," she said. 

As her team works around other trades, Weber relies on her BAC training to "manage and figure out, ‘OK, this is what's safe and I can still get my job done.’" 

The unavoidable challenges of coordinating with other trades would be far more imposing were it not for the project labor agreement (PLA) between New York State, the Bills, and the Buffalo Building Trades. “The PLA ensures that all the trades on the stadium site are union, and that all the craftworkers all have union safety and apprentice training,” remarked BAC Local 3 New York President Rick Williamson. “Without that guarantee, it would be almost impossible to complete a project of this complexity safely and on time.” 

Learning on the Job

The size of the project has also meant opportunities for apprentices. Many have been able to work already at the site for over a year, with almost another until completion.  

"I think this job being so big and there being so many people, I have a lot more opportunity to get on the wall than I

would if I was on a smaller job," said Brandon Sweat, a first-year apprentice. “I think that I’ve really gotten a head start on my career with the company. I’m really learning a lot here.” 

“A lot of the apprentices are getting laying time,” Christensen said. “When you come in as a first-year, you normally don't see a lot. So, I tell them, ‘take it when you can get it, and if you shine, you'll be laying units and you'll progress.’ They've gotten to experience every aspect of the trade." 

"It has been good to see the young up-and-comers,” Christensen continued. “They are going to make great masons. This job will boost their confidence and keep pushing them."

Even for the journey workers, there is always something to learn. Weber was excited to experience her first opportunity to install vapor barrier. "The other workers here have been great, explaining stuff to me and how to do it the proper way," she said. 

Tile foreman Gilmore said that this project had been a chance to see how far Brianna Witul – a craftworker he first met as an apprentice – has come. Now in her 12th year as a BAC member, her first-ever job was working under Gilmore on the Sabres stadium. "She's come a long way,” he said with a smile. “She's setting tile now. She's moved up into the mechanic position."

"My son's working the job now too,” Gilmore said proudly. “He just started out as a journeyman finisher." 

This job has taught even a veteran foreman a thing or two. "I'm 50 years old, I've been doing tile work for 33 years, and just recently I had to learn to use a smartphone and learn how to use a tablet and emails and attach pictures and things like that,” Gilmore explained. “So even me being an old dog, I still have to learn new things." He's had good teachers, though. "I taught these younger guys how to put tile and grout, and now they're the ones teaching me how to use a smartphone." 

One of Kind Project

There's no question that this is a special project, for the BAC craftworkers and the entire city of Buffalo.

"It’s kind of a bucket list thing for me to work on a professional stadium of any kind," Josh Burns, a 25-year BAC member said.

"We're season ticket holders for the other stadium.” Brianna Witul said. “It's just cool being part of something that you know is going to be around for a bit, and that your family and people you know are going to go to." 

"When am I ever going to get to work on another project like this?” Jessica Weber exclaimed rhetorically. “Something so big that people all around are going to be coming to see this place?” 

"It's not just me, it's my kids, they see it," Weber added. "We drive by, and they go 'Mommy, that's your work, that's your work!' Seeing how excited they get about it, and telling other people about it, that's cool that they know that I built a part of this." 

Christensen said he tells friends who ask about the job, "it is exciting, but you have to have the mindset that it's just another job." At the same time, "It's pretty cool to tell people that yeah, I worked on the Bills stadium, I've been there. And it will be cool down the road, that I was a part of that." 

"When the Buffalo Bills step onto the field at the New Highmark Stadium in 2026, we'll know that it wouldn't have been possible without the skill and sweat of BAC members," Williamson said. "In addition to Local 3 members, we had numerous travelers from other Locals come in to help meet the contractor’s needs and hit the aggressive schedule. We thank those members who were able to come to Buffalo and work on this magnificent stadium, and the other local leaders for sparing them.” 

“To have skilled craftworkers available to come like this is a testament of the training, commitment, and leadership throughout the BAC,” Williamson continued. “Every BAC member who put in hours can be proud that their hard work and dedication have been part of this iconic project – go Bills!"