Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

Labor ordinances designed to help city workers

Date: 8/18/2009

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD -- Labor leaders and city officials hailed the ordinances signed by Mayor Domenic Sarno on Tuesday as ways to help ensure Springfield residents are hired on public works projects.

Although both ordinances became law last month, Sarno was joined at the ceremonial signing by City Councilors Bud Williams and Timothy Rooke as well as Frank Callahan, the president of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council and Dan D'Alma, the president of IBEW Local 7.

The Responsible Employer Ordinance requires that employees of public construction projects receiving municipal funds are paid at the lawfully required prevailing wage, have been trained in a state registered apprenticeship program, have proper health and accident insurance and as classified as employees rather than independent contractors.

The Public Construction Employment for Springfield Residents, Minorities and Women Ordinance stipulates that city residents must make up 35 percent of the workforce on public construction jobs in the city with a budget of $250,000.

Callahan said that 18 other communities in Massachusetts have similar ordinances, but Springfield's laws set "standards very high."

Callahan explained that insisting that state registered apprentice programs be part of the Responsible Employer Ordinance would prevent companies from hiring college students on summer break and calling them apprentices.

Apprenticeship programs in the building trades are very important, Callahan noted, as there is demand for greater numbers of tradesmen and women as the average age of the workface is between 45 and 50.

D'Alma said the ordinances were the results of "multiple meetings" between city officials and labor leaders. D'Alma added the result was the "best and responsible ordinances in the state of Massachusetts.

Williams said he, Rooke and James Ferrera, had sponsored the ordinances on the city council.

"They said it couldn't be done, but we got it done," Williams said.

Sarno succinctly put the impact of the two ordinances. "It's about Springfield first and jobs, jobs, jobs," he said.