Thread: Memphis: City Council Member Calls For More City Residents T

City Council Member Calls For More City Residents To Be Hired In Construction

Mike "The Watchdog" Matthews

5:27 p.m. CDT, September 15, 2011


Memphis City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove says some construction companies on city jobs are hiring illegals to work.

Wants ordinance approve to force companies to hire at least 60% of workforce local
Wants the ordinance to be in effect for all city construction jobs and those using city funds

(Memphis 9/15/2011) It was the most activity anyone has seen around the old Pyramid arena in years.

A group of hard hatted construction workers, and Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove. The issue was jobs. "I want to see at least sixty percent of all construction workers on Memphis city or taxpayer funded projects to be hired from the city of Memphis," Fullilove said.

The city approved an ordinance in 1991 that said sixty percent needed to be hired. "It has not been enforced at all," Councilwoman Fullilove said. "I was told by a city official that the city codes office doesn't have the manpower to do it."

Various construction union officials attended the news conference at the Pyramid. They claim that many companies are hiring people to work who are in the country illegally. The group claims the workers are being paid, in Fullilove's words, "slave wages."

"We fight this daily," says Frank Rogers of the Plumbers Union. "We have good contractors who pay good wages and have good benefits. They can't compete anymore. They're being driven out of the market place."

The issue makes sense according to Mike Scoggins of the Ironworkers Union. "This is our money going out on these projects," Scoggins said. "Why not keep the money in the city. Why aren't local people working. That's all we're asking for. It's not a union thing. It's putting Memphis people to work and that's what we want."

Fullilove says she plans on bringing this issue back before the Memphis City Council. "There needs to be better enforcement," Fullilove said, "...certainly by the city on many of these projects." Fullilove says the plan needs to be in place for all city construction and projects funded with taxpayer money.

Also in attendance was candidate Kimba Ford, who is running for city council in district seven. That's the seat that was once held by Barbara Swearengen Ware, who resigned from the council earlier this year.

www.wreg.com

This story could have been written in Dallas 25 years ago , had to check the date twice. Either get on board and fight back 100% , or learn Spanish.