Its plan focuses on apprentice work
Of the St. Louis American
With traffic roaring by on Interstate 64/40, Metropolitan Congregations United introduced its proposed road map to sustained minority participation on future improvement projects on the vital stretch of highway on Tuesday.
MCU representatives were scheduled to meet with Missouri Department of transportation board members on Wednesday, when they would present a “Workforce Development Agreement” that calls for 30 percent of all work hours on I-64/40 contracts be completed by local apprentices who are eligible to receive an earned income tax credit.
MCU also wants to use one-half of 1 percent of federal highway dollars designated for the highway improvements to support training and incentives for apprentice utilization.
The Rev. Tommie Pierson, MCU president, said during the press conference in Dogtown’s Turtle Park that past history has seen “mostly white and out-of-state workers” on the region’s highway projects.
“We desire moral, social and economic justice on this highway project,” Pierson said.
“The Request For Proposals are going out in weeks. Time is running out to do the right thing. We want training, hiring and opportunity for (minority and poor) people of the metropolitan region.”
The $535-million I-40/64 construction project is scheduled to begin later this year or in early 2007 and end in October 2010. Widening and other improvements cover 11.7 miles including 10 interchanges and 39 bridges that need to be replaced.
“We can’t stand by and watch millions of dollars come into (the region) and do nothing about it,” said Father Rich Creason of MCU.
“Too few people of color are becoming apprentices and journeymen.”
Creason said there has been “ongoing dialogue” between labor organization officials and that some are considering the proposals “favorably.”
Pierson said there is no need to created new training programs.
“We have to make better use of the ones we have and the people that graduate from the programs,” he said.
Those programs include the Construction Charter High School on the city’s near South Side and the Construction Prep Center in Wellston.
“There are people that are prepared and qualified to do these jobs. We just need more of them,” Pierson said.
St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley said he and the county “believe strongly” in the MCU’s proposals.
“Building the number of apprenticeships is the smart way to do it. We fully support the efforts of this organization.”
Charles Bryson of Mayor Francis G. Slay’s office said the mayor and city support the proposals “so local people can fill local jobs.”
“(The region) has a higher quality workforce than any other.”
A delegation of more than 100 people was set to meet with MODOT, and Pierson said “no is not an acceptable answer” to the MCU proposals.
If they are rebuffed, “then it’s back to the drawing board,” he said.
Founded in 1997, MCU is an interfaith, multi-racial community organization of 76 member congregations impacting more than 700,000 people and is “committed to achieving social, economic and racial equality at the local and regional level.”
Its main issue areas are economic development, health care, transportation and education.
