PHILADELPHIA – Wednesday, January 20, 2016 – Philadelphia City Councilman-At-Large David Oh, joined by Governor Ed Rendell, Congressman Chaka Fattah, Council members Curtis Jones Jr. (4th District), Mark Squilla (1st District, and Al Taubenberger (At Large) held a press conference to discuss the importance of infrastructure investment and keeping good jobs right here in Philadelphia.
At the center of the discussion will be the United States Department of Transportation’s Local Hiring Pilot Program, announced in March 2015, to enable grantees of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to establish local labor hiring preferences on federally funded transportation projects. In support of this pilot initiative, on June 18, 2015, City Council unanimously adopted City Council Resolution No. 150599: “Recommending the Southern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) to implement local hiring goals for contract opportunities for federally funded transportation projects by taking advantage of the United States Department of Transportation’s Local Hiring Pilot Program.”
“With a significant level of transportation infrastructure projects underway in SEPTA, I believe that establishing local hiring goals for those projects by taking advantage of the USDOT’s pilot program will maximize the public investment at the local, state, and federal level by not only addressing the urgent need to upgrade our transportation infrastructure, but also ensuring that Philadelphia’s diverse workforce is taken into consideration for such projects that are so critical to improving the City’s and the Commonwealth’s economic competitiveness,” Councilman Oh stated.
The press conference was held at Hyundai Rotem USA, a train manufacturing facility in South Philadelphia. The company has invested $30 million to establish its facility, and it has been providing excellent jobs opportunities, particularly for those workers who do not have a college degree and those who are challenged by having a criminal record. Currently, it has the capacity to add hundreds of family-sustaining manufacturing jobs for the residents of Philadelphia and stimulate the state economy.
Also Joining Councilman Oh at the Press Conference were OHyun Kim, President & CEO, Hyundai Rotem USA Corp.; representatives from the Transportation Workers’ Union Local 234; Steve Jurash, President, Philadelphia Manufacturing Alliance; Barbara Allan and Tim Smith, Directors, Philadelphia Works; and current employees of Hyundai Rotem South Philadelphia facility.
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Councilman David Oh is a second-term At Large member in Philadelphia City Council. He is Chairman of the Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy. More information at phlcouncil.com/DavidOh
From CBS Philly.
Letter to SEPTA Chairman Pasquale T. Deon, Sr. signed by all members of Council.
