Congressman Neal Calls For Major Public Works Investments
.jpg) U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, right, tours Unistress, which makes concrete blocks for such projects as bridges. |
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal is calling for even more of those types of projects.
The Springfield Democrat met with Unistress owner Perri Petricca and union officials on Monday to discuss the impact federal public works projects can have on local companies and workers.
"The best, fastest and most dependable way to put people back to work is with a big public works initiatives," Neal said.
Petricca said he has been growing the family-owned concrete business. The company hired 138 new employees after being awarded the contract and is looking at another round of hiring in the summer.
He said federal contracts for transportation infrastructure has not only created jobs but put the company in a position to grow into the future.
"On top of the hiring, we have a $6 million capital investment, expanding our work. When we are done we will have some of the largest bridge construction capacity in the country," Petricca said.
Michael Filpi of Laborers International Union of North America said those workers are all represented by the union. The union has developed a relationship with management that has led to workers being paid between $18 to $20 an hour and the company adding more.
"We are getting to be the second or third biggest employer in the Berkshires," Filpi said. "We get along."
Petricca characterized the relationship with the workers union as "we are all in this together."
"We've been in sync for so long that everybody knows the expectations," Petricca said.
"We're a union employer and we're growing. We're giving pay increases and they earned every penny of it. We don't feel the pressure because we are all in it together. We don't have a 'union issue.' It isn't an issue, it is the guys who work for us."
When the economy turned down, Unistress worked with the union and kept wages stable while limiting the number of jobs eliminated.
"When things were tough nobody got any pay increases for a couple of years. We are all in this together. Now that we've got the work, it is time to reward people for seeing us through the tough times," Petricca said.
 U.S. Rep. Neal later toured the Berkshire Museum with Executive Director Van Shields. See more photos here. |
Neal toured the Cheshire Road facility and called for another massive public works bill.
"We have not done a big public works bill in five years," Neal said.
There is a disconnect in Congress to get those types of bills passed, he said.
"It's amazing you have to the the United States Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, the American Trucking Association who all want a highway bill ... they generally don't agree on where the sun rises and sets, but they've all agreed on a highway bill .... and it hasn't happened," Neal said.
Neal believes there are a lot of congressmen willing to cut the ribbons on projects but don't want to vote to fund them.
"The ideological divide has been about revenue. I would also say this pretty boldly, that one of the things that changed in my time in Congress is there are more people that wouldn't vote for the revenue but want initiatives," Neal said.
"My attitude is if you want the projects, you have to vote for the revenue."
For example, the gas tax, which funds transportation projects, has not been raised since 1993. Federal aid to Massachusetts from the federal government dropped from $680 million to $620 million between 2010 to 2013.
"It's about aspiration, it's about jobs, it's about union workers who take great pride in their skill set," he said.
After touring Unistress' operation, Neal went to Modern Mold and Tool and then to the Berkshire Museum.
Tags: Business, congressman, federal highway, Neal,
