BUILDING PROJECT Council must OK hiring hearings

Two council members aren't willing to endorse a call to examine hiring.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council hearings to scrutinize hiring practices for a $200 million schools construction project would be permitted, but the proposal must first get council's approval, city Law Director John McNally IV says.
McNally researched the hearings issue with a proposal by Councilman Clarence Boles, D-6th, who has claimed that racism is behind the failure of trade unions and contractors to meet minority hiring goals for the massive building project that entails rebuilding or renovating 15 schools.
Boles, a former Youngstown school board member and now council's education committee chairman, had a press conference Monday in city council chambers to announce his call for hearings by his committee.
Boles said he will seek as soon as possible to persuade the full council to adopt a resolution supporting his proposal. Council next meets July 21.
If the full council supports the hearings, the education committee would be permitted to subpoena individuals to come before it, McNally said.
Union leaders and contractors would be among those who would be compelled to appear, Boles said.
"I stand firm that these contractors and these white union representatives are guilty of racism," he declared.
Not unanimous
Though Boles says he will seek council's support for the hearings, his idea has yet to be endorsed by his two fellow education committee members, Councilman Mark Memmer, D-7th, and Councilwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th, who is committee vice chairwoman.
"I'd have to have facts in front of me," Rimedio-Righetti said when asked whether she would support a hearings resolution.
Memmer wouldn't comment directly on whether he favors hearings, but he accused Boles of keeping him and Rimedio-Righetti "in the dark" on the hiring issue.
Memmer noted that the school district has Al Curry, an equal employment opportunity compliance officer, to oversee the construction project, and it appears a good-faith effort is being made to achieve hiring goals.
The school district has said it is encouraging contractors to hire 20 percent minorities, 20 percent women and 50 percent city residents for the project.
Latest percentages
On Monday, Curry reported the latest hiring percentages at the three schools where construction is occurring.
Harding, Taft and West elementaries range from 5 percent to 23 percent minorities; from zero to 3 percent women; and from 3 percent to 27 percent Youngstown residents.
Curry said he thinks that women and minorities have been "arbitrarily excluded" from hiring and from union apprenticeship programs, and that improvements must be made.
Boles previously threatened to picket the construction site of the new Harding Elementary on the city's North Side if more isn't done to meet the hiring goals.
Pickets have yet to be posted. But Boles said he hasn't abandoned the idea.