Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Be ready to work when called, the school board president said.
THE VINDICATOR
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Minority and female business owners came from near and far in search of work in the $173 million, six-year city schools construction and renovation project, which begins this summer.
Ida Mae Morris, owner of Bright Idea Publishing on Drake Avenue, who said she can help with the printing of blueprints, went to a minority and female contracting and employment forum Tuesday at McGuffey Centre.
So did Alfred and Mary Cooper of Youngstown, who own Cooper's Electric Service on Early Road, which has seven employees. Cooper, who served his apprenticeship at U.S. Steel, became a journeyman electrician in Dallas before returning to the Mahoning Valley in 1991. He said his company is bondable for up to $1 million.
Dump trucks: Also present was Anthony Davis of Akron, formerly of Warren, owner of Hard Knocks Enterprise Inc., a Warren-based business founded in 1994, which has four dump trucks and uses Teamsters Union Local 377 drivers.
"It's a golden opportunity. It's a long project. Hopefully, everybody can combine together so everybody has a piece of the pie," Davis said. "Hopefully with the renovation and new schools and tearing down old ones, that should bring life to the community."
Yet another minority contractor was Vijay Rastogi of Akron, an Asian Indian engineer and president of MV Technologies Inc. of Akron, which does environmental site assessments and asbestos and lead-based paint surveys, ensures compliance with EPA regulations and secures environmental permits. The 9-year-old company has four employees and has done site assessment work for Mahoning Valley banks.
"We will not slow this project down for anyone. If we call you, be ready to go," said Lock P. Beachum, school board president, emphasizing the importance of preparedness and punctuality for both contractors and workers. Minority and female business owners must make sure their companies have the proper minority or female business certifications, and small businesses should consider joint ventures with other firms to perform large contracts, he said.
Union jobs: Beachum, who introduced representatives of the laborers', painters' and carpenters' unions in the audience, said 80 percent of the jobs will be performed by union members. Job seekers should contact the union halls about union membership as soon as possible, he said.
Alfonso Curry, equal employment opportunity compliance officer for the city schools, said that he has been contacting local trade schools in search of workers for the project and that he maintains a job bank from which contractors will obtain the names of job-seekers. "This is a community effort, and we want everybody to feel included," he said.
The breakdown: The school board has adopted a resolution calling for 20 percent minority and female participation and 50 percent school district resident participation among workers on the project.
City Councilman James E. Fortune, D-6th, said council will do everything it can, including possibly waiving fees for water and sewer tap in, curb cuts and permits, to facilitate the project and stretch its budget. He also said council would emphasize local involvement.