Council passes resolution, has heated debate over PLA for sewer project

The Reading City Council passed a highly contested resolution to allow for open bidding on the city’s $140 million waste water treatment plant project by a vote of 4-2 on Tuesday night.

More than 100 local union workers packed City Hall following a rally on the front steps to hear the council’s decision.

A few argued against the resolution and in support of a public labor agreement (PLA) before the council cast its vote.

A PLA would require contractors on the project to hire workers from local union halls.

Those who spoke were familiar faces in support of a PLA, including Ryan Helmes, a member of the Construction and Building Trades Commission in the city, as well as a local electricians’ union, and Abraham Amoros, Pennsylvania legislative director for the Laborers’ International Union.

Helmes, Amoros and others asserted that a PLA would ensure the sewer plant project would be completed on time and on budget, conditions would be safe and workers would be paid a fair wage.

They held a PLA would also ensure local workers on the project, contribute to flourishing union apprenticeship programs and guaranty minority and veteran participation.

 "I would respectfully ask how can you be against good community values such as these when you yourselves are supposed to be representing them?" Helmes asked.

Mayor Vaughn Spencer said he shares the unions’ opinion and wants to require PLAs for all large building projects in the city.

On Tuesday, he released a request for proposals (RFP) for the project that included much of the same language and requirements as a PLA.

Council responded to the mayor’s RFP Tuesday night by voting for a resolution that requires all contracts be submitted under an open contracting bidding process or a dual bidding process.

An open contracting bidding process does not allow exclusion of any possible bidders due to exclusionary requirements including provisions representative of a PLA.

A dual bidding process allows for bidders to respond to an RFP without any exclusionary provisions and with a separate proposal including exclusionary requirements for those bidders who may want to bid with those requirements attached.

The resolution states council will not entertain any contracts not submitted in accordance with these processes.

Councilman Dennis Sterner shared his support for the resolution and assured the union crowd that he was not against union shops securing the contract.

“All we’re trying to do with this resolution is make sure that everyone gets a fair shot at the bidding process, and I hope everyone understands that,” he said.

Council members Marcia Goodman-Hinnershitz and Jeffrey Waldman agreed and explained that council wants to review all possible contracts to ensure the best interests of the city are met.

With this resolution, City Council and the mayor are, once again, at odds over a major issue affecting city residents. Goodman-Hinnershitz explained that "an RFP went out that was not given to council, nor was it run by our consultants.”

To which Spencer replied, "I think the issue that maybe some people have is the fact that I had the PLA language put in the bid process. I believe as mayor I have the right to do that. Obviously, when it comes time to approve the contracts that is something this body would have to approve.”

 The resolution passed Tuesday night is not binding on the mayor, and his RFP for this project stands.

Council President Francis Acosta, who was one of the members to vote against the resolution, said “This just becomes more drama in a space where we don’t need any more drama.”

Venting his frustrations, he continued, “I learned the hard way that a resolution is just voicing the opinion of the majority and it won’t stick,” and that the vote is “meaningless at this point.”

Heated arguments over the merit of the resolution devolved, and the meeting disbanded without any formal motion to adjourn.

Source: WFMZ.com