Mayor
Francis G. Slay and St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley
may face an economic boycott come April.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The NAACP is gaining support for a boycott against the gaming and hospitality industries – areas that contribute a significant amount of tax dollars to St. Louis city’s and St. Louis County’s budgets.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The boycott would be a response to the Metropolitan Sewer District’s policy on minority participation.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On Dec. 8, MSD board trustees – who are appointed by Slay and Dooley – failed to pass a resolution that would increase minority participation on MSD construction projects and professional services.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Slay and Dooley appointees were responsible for the defeat of the proposal.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Trustee John H. Goffstein, an appointee of Slay, David Visintainer, another Slay appointee, and Gerald Feldhaus, an appointee of Dooley, voted against the proposal. If any one of these had voted with board chair Bob Berry, Eddie Ross Jr. (both Dooley appointees) or board vice chair James Buford (a Slay appointee), the proposal would have passed.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Slay and Dooley missed a crucial chance to encourage their trustees to create more employment opportunities for minorities in upcoming publicly funded construction projects, said St. Louis NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt II.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We will hold the appointing authorities responsible for the inability of their trustees to provide a fair share of MSD economic opportunities for people of color in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County,” Pruitt said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Over the next 20 years, MSD must make $4.7 billion in sewer system improvements, which includes eliminating illegal overflows of untreated raw sewage to reduce pollution levels in urban rivers and streams. In June 2007, the U.S. government and the State of Missouri filed a civil action against MSD, alleging that it violated the Clean Water Act. As per a consent decree filed in July, MSD agreed to do an extensive overhaul of its system.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>MSD’s upcoming improvements represent an opportunity to employ a significant number of minority workers and to support their families, said Yaphett El-Amin, executive director of MOKAN, an advocacy group for minority- and women-owned businesses.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We are not going to let that train ride by our community without being on it,” she said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The failed MSD resolution would have set separate subcontracting goals for minorities and women – 25 percent for minority business enterprises (MBEs) and 5 percent for women business enterprises (WBEs) – for all construction and professional service contracts of $50,000 or more.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Currently MSD has a combined goal for MBEs and WBEs of 25 percent on building construction projects of $50,000 or more.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Representatives of the African-American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA) said they will support the boycott. AABCA recently led a coalition of eight organizations in a fight to get more minority participation on the Central Library’s renovation worksite. The library job site had very few minority workers, and the coalition found that unacceptable in a city with roughly a 50 percent African-American population.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Last month, St. Louis Public Library Board of Directors signed an agreement and is completing its promise of increasing participation.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“We are in support of any actions that will bring about more justice and equality in terms of increasing opportunity for African-American businesses and contractors alike,” said Yusuf Haqq, lead business consultant with AABCA.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“In this day and age, it is shameful that we still have to result to boycotts and marches.”
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>As part of the boycott, the NAACP will ask convention organizers to cancel and relocate their meeting to another city. The NAACP will also ask conventioneers to support the boycott by failing to utilize room service, restaurants and other attractions as a show of solidarity.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The NAACP will ask supporters to stay clear of regional casinos.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Recent disparity studies for regional public entities, including Metro St. Louis transit agency and the Missouri Department of Transportation, found that they were not giving MBEs a fair amount of the work. In August, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) finished its disparity study and found discrimination. The Metro East Black Contractors association is now suing IDOT for damages.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>These three cases should have been enough for the board to feel comfortable with setting the resolution’s goals, Pruitt said.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“It’s our intention to reach out to minority firms, contractors and workers to educate them on this issue and to apply as much pressure to MSD to rectify this wrong,” El-Amin said.