Protesters
at the Central Library’s renovation site have reached an unofficial
agreement with the St. Louis Public Library to increase minority
workforce on the jobsite and to diversify the workforce on future
library projects.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We’ve come to where we feel is good agreement,” said Mikail Ali, president of the African-American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA). “It’s the dawning of a new day.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The library’s Board of Directors will meet Monday to discuss and possibly vote on the agreement points.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The ideas agreed upon conceptually, but not legally, include: increasing the project’s minority workforce by 50 percent, hiring five apprentices from community schools such as Ranken and Construction Careers, and putting a policy together for minority workforce on future projects.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“The library is interested in being a role model on how to best provide minority workforce participation in construction projects,” said Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis NAACP, who is representing the coalition of organizations led by AABCA.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Pruitt said though the items have been discussed and agreed upon in principle, attorneys from both sides are reviewing the language of the agreement.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Once the legal review is done, then we anticipate the library will act on them formally,” Pruitt said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Ken Brostron, the library’s attorney, said, “We have consensual parameters to work out some wording.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The agreement comes after more than two months of protesting and negotiating from a coalition, which includes AABCA, NAACP, Universal African People’s Organization, the Missouri Black Labor Council/Justice inc., Black United Front, Muhammad Mosque 28 and Metropolitan Congregations United.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>According to the library, 20.5 percent of the $67.5 million renovation project’s contracts for construction costs are going to minority-owned business enterprises (MBE) and 5.12 percent to women-owned business enterprises (WBE). However, there have been no guidelines for minority workforce participation.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The coalition demanded that the construction site’s workforce reflect better the population of the city of St. Louis. African Americans make up 48 percent of the city’s residents, according to the Census 2010.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We don’t receive funding from anyone but the community. We don’t have any political ties,” said Yusuf Haqq, lead business consultant with AABCA.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We don’t have any motives other than to make sure the African-American community is utilized in a way that’s fair and consistent. Our main goal is to get the community to get in the practice of ensuring that utilization occurs.”