NILES Official denies union's request for lawsuit

The attorney plans to file the lawsuit himself next week.
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- Just hours after learning the city would not file a lawsuit on their behalf, local laborers were back to protest the use of prison labor at a former school.
More than 40 members of Laborers International Union of North America Locals 935 in Warren and 125 in Youngstown stood outside the former Edison Junior High School, voicing their disapproval over the use of inmates from state prisons to remove asbestos from the building, which is set to be demolished later this year.
School officials have said they had no control over which workers were used, since the project falls under the Ohio School Facilities Commission. The OSFC chose to use prison workers rather than put the project out to bid, they said.
"We are appalled with the situation," said Atty. Dennis Haines of Youngstown, who represents the labor unions.
Last week, Haines asked Niles Law Director J. Terrence Dull to file a taxpayers lawsuit on behalf of Ricky Rounds Jr., of St. John Street, and Thomas Dodrill, of Woodglen Avenue, against the city schools.
What they wanted
The men asked Dull to file the suit against the superintendent, treasurer and past and present board of education members in an effort to stop prisoners from Ohio Penal Industries from continuing to remove asbestos, to see the remainder of the project put out for competitive bid, to have the rest of the money owed to OPI withheld and to have any money paid to OPI to date returned.
Haines said he received a letter Thursday from Dull that his request had been denied. Dull could not be reached to comment this morning, but Haines said he plans to file the suit himself on behalf of the men next week.
Since late last year, members of locals 935 and 125, as well as other union workers in the Mahoning Valley, have protested the work at the building, saying that the contract was awarded illegally and that the state is taking jobs away from honest citizens in the area who need the work.
The board of education approved the $500,000 contract last November, and work began in December. Each day, nine prisoners work to remove asbestos so the Church Street building can eventually be torn down.
slshaulis@vindy.com