Workers rally in White Plains for stimulus funds
Some 200 workers and local leaders gathered on the steps of the Westchester County Office Building Thursday to rally for more stimulus money for local projects. Dozens of construction workers were joined
News 12 Staff
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Apr 24, 2009, 3:08 AM
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Updated 5,500 days ago
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Some 200 workers and local leaders gathered on the steps of the Westchester County Office Building Thursday to rally for more stimulus money for local projects.
Dozens of construction workers were joined by Westchester County Executive Andy Spano, who says getting the stimulus funds is a priority for the county, which is entitled to $80 million.
"That will translate to about 10,000 jobs, not all in construction, but about 3,000 in the construction trades," Spano says.
Ross Pepe, head of the Construction Industry Council of Westchester and the Hudson Valley, says contractors are eager to begin work on a variety of shovel-ready projects.
However, union leaders say they want to make sure their members will not be left out of the loop, as it happened during the construction of a shopping complex on the border of Yonkers and Greenburgh.
"They're not paying area-standard wages on that job," says Kevin O'Rourke. "And they brought all people you know [are] not local construction workers."
For more about the rally in White Plains, go to your digital cable box and select iO Extra, Ch. 612.
