Mayor Ginther and Building-Construction Unions Sign Community Benefits Agreement
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, other city officials, labor leaders and stakeholders signed a Community Benefits Agreement on April 11 for the construction of the new Linden Community Center and Park. The agreement, similar to the one being used for the construction of Fire Station #35 on the Far East side, enhances cooperation between workers and the city and guarantees local workforce for a percentage of the project.
“This agreement continues to build on my commitment to expanding Columbus’ success to every person in every neighborhood,” said Mayor Ginther. “I applaud our local labor unions for standing with me and the community in this effort.”
“This Community Benefits Agreement represents an enormous opportunity for both the Building Trades and the city,” said Dorsey Hager, executive secretary-treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. “This partnership provides the city with highly trained, local, skilled journeymen and women who will complete this project on time and on budget while creating career opportunities in the building trades.”
This agreement sets local workforce goals of 30 percent for the City of Columbus. It also requires contractors make good-faith efforts to hire qualified workers from Linden, and sets the goal of three recruitment events in the neighborhood.
The agreement continues the work of the Community and Workforce Committee that is made up of representatives from the Columbus Building Construction Trades Council, the City of Columbus and organizations, such as the NAACP, dedicated to the advancement of minorities, women and low-income residents.
“We believe the Community Benefits Agreement for the Linden Community Center project is continued progress step in cultivating a culture of greater inclusion of African-Americans in the building trades,” said Nana Watson, President, Columbus Branch of the NAACP. “We congratulate the City of Columbus for responding to the need to construct a second such agreement.”
The City of Columbus also continues to invest in construction trades with Columbus City Schools, having provided funds for tool boxes, hard hats, boots and other materials for more than 300 middle school and high school students in training programs.
NAACP President Nana Watson comments: 20190411_105700
Published in OhioMBE – April 15, 2019 – pdf version
