NILES Laborers decry use of prison workers

Laborers want to see the work stopped and the project put out to bid.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Local laborers believe its wrong to use prison workers in a demolition project, and they want the city to do something about it.
Ricky Rounds Jr., of St. John Street, and Thomas Dodrill, of Woodglen Avenue, are asking the city's law director to file a lawsuit against the city schools on behalf of taxpayers in Niles.
In a letter dated Feb. 4, Atty. Dennis Haines of Youngstown asked J. Terrence Dull to file the complaint on behalf of the men, who are members of Laborers' International Union of North America Local No. 935 in Warren. Dull could not be reached to comment on the request.
Since late last year, members of Locals 935 and 125 in Youngstown have protested the work, saying the contract was awarded illegally and that the state is taking jobs away from honest citizens in the area who need the work.
"They violated the law," said Thomas Warga, business manager of Local 125. "Any contract at that price they need to put out for competitive bid. It's illegal for the government to award a contract without putting it to bid."
Contract approved
The Niles board of education approved the $500,000 contract last November to use prison workers to remove asbestos so the Church Street building can eventually be torn down. Board members have said they were forced to throw out all bids for demolition after the state raised concerns over asbestos in the structure.
School officials have said they had no control over which workers were used, since the project falls under the Ohio Schools Facility Commission. The OSFC chose to use prison workers rather than put the project out to bid, they said.
Warga said the unions are asking the suit to be filed on behalf of Rounds and Dodrill since it must include taxpayers who reside in the city limits.
The letter asks that Dull file the suit against the schools' superintendent, treasurer and past and present board of education members and ask that prisoners from Ohio Penal Industries stop working to remove asbestos from the former Edison Junior High School building.
Warga said laborers also want to see the remainder of the project put out for competitive bid, the rest of the money owed to OPI withheld and any money paid to OPI to date returned.
slshaulis@vindy.com