A proposed ordinance would require contractors to meet specific qualifications in order to work on public construction and maintenance projects for Reading.
Informally called the responsible contractor ordinance, the draft legislation was introduced at a City Council last week after months of consideration and discussion.
“This would apply only to projects that are over $250,000,” City Solicitor Frederick T. Lachat said at a meeting last month. “So this wouldn’t be for the smaller projects. This would be for the big ones.”
To qualify, contractors would have to maintain the capacity, expertise, personnel and other resources necessary to successfully complete public projects in a timely, reliable and cost-effective manner, he said.
Mark Pinkasavage of Muhlenberg Township, business administrator of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local, and others said the proposal would ensure public projects are completed by quality contractors.
Lachat noted the minimum standards would include a requirement for an apprenticeship program.
The provision also garnered the support of local union representatives, including William Dorward of Kutztown, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Reading and Vicinity.
Mayor Eddie Moran invited Dorward to explain some of the benefits of apprenticeships.
The program gives adults of any age an opportunity to learn a skilled trade, he said, noting that most apprentices not only earn a certification, but also an associate’s degree.
Apprentices cannot perform work requiring a master contractor and must work under supervision, which makes for a safer job site, he said, noting 12 people in the U.S. die every day on construction jobs due to mistakes made by uneducated workers. Apprenticeship programs teach by example, he said, and help ensure safety and quality work on every project.
Dorward said he is working with the Reading School District and area nonprofits to introduce youths to the opportunity. It is his hope that apprenticeship programs will help give young people more opportunities and decrease gang memberships.
Carlos Gomez, a Reading High School graduate and city resident, also spoke. Gomez said he was able to buy a house at 19 thanks to an apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Vincent Biancone of Exeter Township, an electrician and member of the IBEW local said anyone wishing to join an apprenticeship program can visit a local construction trades union hall and complete an application between September and March.
Although the proposed ordinance would require contractors to pay prevailing wages, Dorward said that would not increase the cost of public projects. Those rates are established by the state and federal governments and are currently applied to all jobs and projects, he said.
The average union apprentice starts at $77,000 a year, he said.
Source: Berkshire mont
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