Phillipsburg town officials voted to support local union
work Tuesday after a roomful of union workers appealed to town officials
regarding the Commerce Park Redevelopment project.
Union representatives said developer Opus had promised to
use a portion of local labor on the project but had fallen short.
Mike Dalpe,representing Local Labor 3, said that
union-backed, local Meeko Construction was the initial low bidder on the
demolition portion of the project. The contract ultimately went to a non-union
New York-based company, he said.
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Union contractor proved trained and better qualified than
other contractors, Dalpe said, adding that he'd been to the construction site
and gotten "a lot of lip service" but no action.
"We're losing,” he said.
Ray Woodall, representing Ironworkers Local 11, said New
Jersey was leading the country with construction projects, which attracted
workers who undercut the local labor rate.
"We are keeping local New Jersey people from working
because we don't have the language to protect them," Woodall said.
Council members voted unanimously to pass Resolution
2016-253 to supplement existing contractor qualification standards.
The resolution defines the terms public contract and
financial assistance. It also requires that projects in which the town provides
financial assistance use licensed, responsible and craft labor trained
contractors.
Town Attorney Rich Wenner said that since Opus is
participating in a tax abatement pilot program, the definition clarification
may give the town some teeth in the fight to have local labor on the project.
All union contractors in attendance submitted bids to the
project with no result.
Source: WFMZ.com
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