Martinez public works jobs bill goes to Congress

by Evelina Alarcon

This article was reprinted from the March 1, 1997 issue of the People's Weekly World. For subscription information see below. All rights reserved - may be used with PWW credits.

LOS ANGELES - City Council representatives, one after another, took the floor here Feb. 26 to speak for the motion calling on the 105th Congress to pass, and President Clinton to sign into law, the Job Creation and Infrastructure Restoration Act of 1997, a $250 billion public works jobs bill which was reintroduced this week by Rep. Matthew Martinez (D-Calif.).

Their forceful message resulted in the unanimous passage of the motion by the council which represents the nation's second largest city.

Commending Rep. Martinez for his vision, Councilman Richard Alarcon, who introduced the motion, told the council, "The Martinez Jobs Bill will not only rebuild our cities and our infrastructure, it will rebuild the human spirit of the people of the United States."

This enthusiasm was echoed by council members Mark Ridley Thomas, Nate Holden, Hal Bernson, Rita Walters, Richard Alatorre and Jackie Goldberg. "Good paying jobs are the bedrock of any quality of life movement in America," said Goldberg.

Their response followed the eloquent words of over 25 prominent labor, community and religious leaders who spoke at a press conference and later, from the city council podium, urging the council to act in order to meet the jobs crisis imposed by the welfare "reform" act and corporate downsizing.

Among the throng of leaders who spoke was Miguel Contreras, executive secretary-treasurer of 720,00-member Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, who told the press conference that the federation "will work to pressure city councils and Congressional representatives to support the Martinez Bill which prioritizes jobs for welfare recipients, downsizing's victims, especially our youth who need this hope for their future."

Contreras also emphasized the growing movement of labor councils across the country that are joining the fight for the bill "from Florida to Anchorage." He pledged that the federation would pressure the Los Angeles County Congressional delegation which is "bigger than that of 41 states."

Last Monday the federation reaffirmed its support for the Martinez Bill and, by unanimous vote, joined the National Labor Coalition for Public Works Jobs which is leading the campaign for passage of the legislation.

Saying that her organization believes the Martinez Bill "can be passed," Geraldine Washington, president of the Los Angeles NAACP, spoke of the "cruel hoax" of the welfare bill that demands personal responsibility "when there are no jobs to earn a decent living to take care of your family." Washington said the NAACP supports the Martinez Bill because it will "bring some relief to those who will soon be dropped from the welfare rolls."

John Perez, regional director of the Mexican American Political Association and a member of the United Steelworkers of America, said he came out of the now-cold steel mills of Los Angeles. "The corporations ran away to low wage countries," said Perez. "What we need now is a new New Deal in the 21st century that would guarantee liveable wages for everyone and the Martinez Bill is a great start."

Speakers before the council included Segio Rascon, business manager of Laborers Local 300, Sol Londe of the California Congress of Seniors, Armando Olivas of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, Clara James of the Second Baptist Church, Jeanne Londe of Temple Kol-ticvah, Utility Workers Union leader Carl Wood and speakers from numerous other unions including the Service Employees International Union and the Communication Workers, Auto Workers and Steelworkers unions.

The historic meeting was summed up by Alarcon when he said, "I want to guarantee you that the movement that started last year for this bill will continue to grow. Some people think L.A. was built on rock and roll but it wasn't. It was built on public works and good wages - exactly what this bill proposes."

Los Angeles was not the only city where the bill found support this week. The groundswell of action included San Francisco where the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution calling for passage of the bill and for its funding by "cuts in military spending and corporate welfare."

Supervisor Tom Ammiano introduced the motion by calling the legislation "an emergency solution to the attack on the welfare and the unemployment crisis because it provides prevailing wage jobs to welfare recipients, long-term unemployed, downsizing victims, veterans, youth as well as unemployed building trades workers."

Also in northern California, the Alameda County Central labor Council, in a strongly-worded resolution, reaffirmed its support for the Martinez Bill and also endorsed the full employment bill authored by Rep. Ron Dellums (D- Calif.).

This action complemented that taken earlier this week in Oakland where labor, community leaders and activists formed the Community-Labor Coalition For Public Works Jobs and mapped out a series of actions for the Martinez Bill in the coming weeks.

Jerry Acosta and Art Rodriguez, chair and coordinator of the National Labor Coalition for Public Works Jobs, respectively, called these developments and nationwide grassroots lobbying - which resulted in nine cosponsors from New York alone - "part of the new winning campaign to pass the bill."