Youngstown gets a giant as a partner in business

Any way you cut it, Wal-Mart is in a league of its own. So, when the worldwide retail giant agrees to have a presence of some consequence in the city of Youngstown, the onus is on government, and even the school system, to make sure that this is not another wasted opportunity.

The commitment by Wal-Mart to open a hiring center in Youngstown, to provide job-training initiatives and to work with City Hall on future investment opportunities is deserving of recognition. Praise is also due Mayor Jay Williams, whose negotiating posture with the company made the deal possible.

In return for its presence in the city, Wal-Mart will receive drinking water from Youngstown for its $10 million superstore project in the Liberty Plaza on Belmont Avenue in Liberty Township.

But while we acknowledge the win-win aspect of the contract signed Friday, we are reminded of just how difficult it is to encourage Youngstown residents, especially those in the black community, to take advantage of such opportunities.

Several years ago, when the city was planning the $45 million convocation/sports arena, there was a requirement from the federal government, which put up most of the money, to hire minority-owned companies and minority construction workers.

But despite outreach programs created by the building trades and unions, the district had difficulty meeting the hiring goals.

Attendance decline

Although the initial meetings attracted large crowds, there was a drop in attendance for the actual training programs.

Hence, we urge Mayor Williams and schools Superintendent Dr. Wendy Webb to ensure that the job-training initiatives to be launched by Wal-Mart in the near future are well attended.

Although 35 percent to 40 percent of the giant retailer’s payroll in this region is made up of Youngstown residents, the mayor would like to see the Liberty Township store have at least 25 percent of its employees come from the city.

Indeed, the 25 percent hiring level was the issue that threatened to derail the superstore project.

After Liberty Township government announced that Wal-Mart was coming to the community, trustees and Youngstown officials locked horns over the mayor’s insistence that a joint economic development district be created encompassing the store site. Trustees and company officials balked and it appeared that the project was going to be shelved.

Cooler heads prevailed, the mayor agreed to drop the JEDD requirement, and the project was revived.

Then came the city’s demand, in the form of a water-use agreement, that Youngstown residents make up 25 percent of the employees. The company refused, saying that it wants to be able to hire individuals who meet its work standards.

Comments by the trustees exacerbated the situation. Fortunately, the charged atmosphere did not prevent Williams from meeting privately with Wal-Mart executives. The result: the agreement signed last week establishing a business relationship between the city and the company.

With the commitments made, it is now up to Youngstown residents to show that they have what it takes to be successful in the ever-expanding service industry.

High school students should be encouraged to participate because not all graduating seniors are college material, and jobs for young people with only high school diplomas aren’t plentiful.