06/06/2000 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 6/6/2000 union work. He is proud of that and feels the city has received benefits which are innumerable. During those 10 years, there were no OSHA violations concerning safety, no contractor employees injured on the job, no unrectified quality of workmanship issues and no performance bond forfeitures in the past 20 years. There were two prevailing wage issue violations in the past 10 years and both were rectified when discovered and corrected by our prevailing wage officer. The reasons offered in support of Ordinance 99-54 simply do not exist. It will be easy to respond to his position by saying things have gone well for the past 10 years because the city has used union labor 92% of the time. He understands that position, but thinks it misses the point because, when we used union labor, we never had a strike or work stoppage, which is one of the primary reasons why this ordinance was brought forth. He believes this is a classic example of a solution looking for a problem. In the words of Martin Luther King, "Cowardice will ask the question, 'Is it safe?' Expedience asks the question, 'Is it politic?' Vanity asks the question, 'Is it popular?' But conscience will ask you the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take that position because his conscience tells him that it is right." His conscience tells him that this ordinance has lost sight of what is fair and it has lost sight of what is right. He asks the administration to review this policy in the future and, when it believes a project labor agreement is necessary, that it proceed accordingly and get the support of City Council. Roll call continued: Nashar, yes, with a comment that no suburb in this area has an ordinance like this in place, nor does the State of Ohio. During the past 10 years when bids were sent out, some of them had project labor agreements written in by the administration. Over 90% of the bids were awarded to union contractors. If this ordinance passes, the city could be open to a lawsuit. He does not feel the ordinance is necessary because the administration already has the ability to require a project labor agreement. His father was a union carpenter and his wife is a Cleveland teacher who belongs to the union--he supports the unions. Roll call continued: Kasler, no, with comment that she is extremely disappointed that this ordinance is not moving forward, and she says that with respect for the opinion of the Law Department that was received. The objection of the Law Department, in her opinion, is not to project labor agreements, but to a problem in the wording of the purpose of the ordinance. By making a motion to table the ordinance, it is virtually destroyed, and she is totally against that. She would rather see the ordinance placed in committee to study and review the recommendations of the Law Department and to make the necessary amendment to the ordinance to make it even better and stronger. She believes this Council should have been given an opportunity to vote on an issue that has been so strongly and extensively debated. She believes it is government at its best when issues are heard and sides are raised and representative voices create a majority decision. Her belief and support of Ordinance 99-54 has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with personal experience and background which she carries with her to her position on Council. She needs to take her disappointment one step further and respond, for the first time in her life, to personal allegations. Her decision to support the ordinance was not based on politics but on philosophy, a lifestyle, her past, her experiences and her future wishes for this city. She believes she has a right as a citizen to express those views and philosophies and an obligation as a Councilperson to express them on behalf of the many residents who also support them. Her disappointment lies in the fact that the two sides have not 3