This page has information and links related
specifically to Hurricane Katrina which hit the US Gulf Coast in August
2005.
"Katrina Rebuilding -- Hire locally & Pay living wage"
submitted by Kris Petersen to the
Gender and Disaster Network (Download
Word file here 48kb)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 9, 2005 9:02 AM
CONTACT: Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH)
Doug Gordon (Kucinich) (202) 225-5871; Nicole Williams (Tubbs Jones) (202)
225-7032
Reps. Kucinich and Tubbs Jones Call On President To Hire Local Residents
And Pay A Living Wage In Rebuilding Gulf Region
88 Members of Congress, Including Representatives From Louisiana and
Mississippi, Send A Letter To The President
WASHINGTON - September 9 - Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) and
Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH) today sent a letter to
President George W. Bush calling on him to sign an Executive Order to
require contractors receiving federal Hurricane relief funds to hire
locally to the greatest extent feasible and pay them a living wage.
Kucinich and Tubbs Jones were joined by 88 Members of Congress, including
Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) and Congressman Bennie Thompson
(D-MS).
"It is not enough to just throw federal dollars at the region," stated
Kucinich. "We must also provide the opportunity for the people of the
region to rebuild their lives and provide for themselves and their
families."
"It is important that the local residents affected by the hurricane
benefit from these huge government contracts," stated Tubbs Jones. "We owe
the people, who have lost everything, nothing less."
In their letter the Representatives state:
Dear Mr. President,
For the Hurricane-affected regions of Louisiana and Mississippi, the
economic devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is on par with effects of
the Great Depression. Unemployment is on a huge scale. We ask that you
issue an Executive Order requiring all contractor companies receiving
federal Hurricane relief dollars to hire local residents of the
Hurricane-affected region and pay them a living wage.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, of the 510,000
private-sector workers in the New Orleans metropolitan statistical area,
"the majority will be off payrolls at least through September, with only a
gradual rebound." Another 113,000 in the Gulfport-Biloxi MSA and 54,000 in
the Pascagoula MSA face unemployment caused by the Hurricane's devastation
of workplaces, transportation routes, public utilities and housing.
The House of Representatives has already appropriated over $60 billion for
the region, and will surely appropriate more. But restrictions on the rule
governing debate and amendments made it impossible for us to debate an
amendment to require contractors receiving federal Hurricane relief
dollars to hire locally and pay a living wage.
During the Great Depression, the federal government put millions of
unemployed people to work rebuilding the country's infrastructure with
federal dollars. The hurricane-demolished region needs a similar emphasis
today.
We ask that you issue an Executive Order to require contractors receiving
federal Hurricane relief funds to:
1. hire locally to the greatest extent feasible. Specifically, contractors
for non-construction projects would be required to meet local hiring goal
of 50%, and contractors for construction projects would be required to
meet a local hiring goal of 25%.
2. pay each employee a wage of no less than $6.55 per hour if that
employee is currently being provided health insurance under a health
insurance policy maintained by that employer, or no less than $7.75 per
hour if that employee is not currently being provided health insurance
under a health insurance policy maintain by that employer.
This is an urgent matter. We ask that you issue this executive order at
the same time you sign into law the Hurricane relief funds appropriated by
HR
3673.
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