NORRISTOWN >> The local laborer’s union in
Norristown has been picketing outside the former PNC building on West Main
Street because, union representatives say, the Norwood, Delaware County,
contractor in charge of demolition at the site does not pay prevailing wages.
Workers employed by MSJ Contractors LLC are doing initial
demolition work on the fifth and sixth floors of the office building at 1 W.
Main St. in preparation for building 16 condominiums on those floors.
Laborer’s Local 135 of Norristown has been picketing the
building with two, 10-foot high rubber rats for three weeks, said one picketer
who declined to give his name. Windows on the upper floors are open and two
construction trash chutes have been suspended from the fifth floor to a parking
lot where three debris containers hold broken wood trim, drywall and pieces of
metal.
“We’re protesting because of the deterioration of wages
and standards,” said Dan Woodall, the business manager for Laborer’s Local 135,
Laborers’ International Union of North America. “A regular laborer is paid
$26.50 per hour. We have reports that MSJ is not paying prevailing wage and not
using local hires.”
Woodall said the laborers’ union has “workers from the
borough” that should be “employed on local jobs.”
Officials of MSJ Contractors did not respond to a request
for comment.
In June 2014, Norristown council approved an $850,000
grant from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) to
subsidize the $4,050,000 project to build 16 condo units in the fifth and sixth
floors of the seven-story office building at 1 W. Main St.
The Residences at Courthouse Square are being developed
by Mike Alhadad of Ambler and Sam Madi of New Orleans, La. The building was
purchased for $2 million by Alhadad in 2012, and One West Main Street LLC will
invest an additional $1 million for renovation costs. The company has spent
$200,000 on building repairs.
“I’m not sure what’s going on there,” Alhadad said in a
brief telephone call. “I’m overseas right now.”
The picketing and the status of the state RACP grant were
discussed at the Tuesday night council meeting.
“I was surprised and embarrassed to see the rat out at
Swede and Main streets. The rat is used by organized labor to point out
problems,” said Councilman Marlon Millner. “I don’t know if it is related to 9
W. Main St. or the PNC building. There is some prep work being done at the PNC
building. I was embarrassed to see Local 135 out there. I would be very
uncomfortable if the RACP money is going to that project. That seemed
inappropriate for this community.”
Municipal Administrator Crandall Jones said prior
arrangements had designated the RACP funds would be used for work one floor and
the developer’s money would be spent on the other floor.
“They are doing cleanup work that they can do on their
own. The developer can spend his money and do work on the building,” Jones
said. “I will be happy to get with him and clarify this.”
Millner replied, “It seems inappropriate to fragment the
project and have one floor built with totally private dollars and then have
another floor built with public funds and a different contractor.”
“The RCAP money is very specific in how it is spent,”
Jones said. “The contractor has a lot of detail on how he separates it and how
he spends his own funds and the public funds. We have sat through many meetings
on this point.”
Jones said the budget impasse in Harrisburg had frozen
the disbursement of RACP funds to already approved projects throughout the
state.
“The RACP dollars are draw-down dollars. The developer is
still fronting his own money as he does work,” said Councilman Gary Simpson.
“The RACP money has not been released yet but he can spend his money as he sees
fit.”
“I’m worried about whether a general contractor is using
prevailing wage or not,” Millner said. “Lets address the fundamental issue and
get that rat off the street.”
Both Simpson and Millner asked Jones to contact the
developer and contractor to determine the status of the project.
Source: Montgomery
News
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