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Workers, Community Members Want Local Labor for Warren Local Schools Project
By: WOUB News Team
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VINCENT, Ohio (WOUB) — Workers and community members rallied at Warren Local Schools Thursday to express concern with out-of-state workers being hired in a major project.
In 2017, community members approved a bond issue and permanent improvement levy to help fund construction and renovations in the district.
In a statement, Warren Local Schools said local workers have completed 99 percent of the work so far.
The school district said a construction manager hired Ohio-based Lang Masonry to complete the project. The project includes a new high school and an expanded middle school.
Kenny Allen, president and field rep of Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 639, said Lang Masonry hired a subcontractor who employed out-of-state workers.
“We just want to see the project stay local, because there’s local labor out there to use,” he said. “We’ve got 140 guys on our list right now sitting, and probably 65-70 of them guys are people that live in that community that, you know, helped pass that levy and are paying for that levy right now.”
WOUB reached out to Lang Masonry for comment.