Quinn’s High Speed Rail Project Jobs Will Bypass Local Englewood Residents
Acting Governor Quinn recently announced federal funding for the Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) Program’s Englewood Flyover in Chicago. This American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) project received $133 million under the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program. The objective is to build a rail flyover in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. This project, intended to substantially reduce rail congestion, is expected to result in 1,446 direct and indirect jobs.
http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/ShowPressRelease.cfm?SubjectID=3&RecNum=8283
This will be a predominately Union workforce project. Pat Quinn has done nothing to encourage the Unions to include Englewood residents in apprenticeship programs. In fact, nearly all apprenticeship programs across the 24 crafts affiliated with the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council are closed to newcomers. According to Tom Villanova, president of the council,
it is unlikely that this apprenticeship enrollment policy will change this year.
Under Pat Quinn’s leadership, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the Illinois state agency responsible for workforce development) has failed to provide funding for Union apprenticeship programs.
http://www.chicagounionnews.com/2010/01/with-economy-chilling-trades-union.html
Additionally, Pat Quinn has failed to direct that department to train and re-train Englewood residents to ensure their job readiness.
Consequently, few if any Englewood residents are qualified to work directly on this federally funded High-Speed rail project. Under Pat Quinn, at best, Englewood residents may be able to secure a few of the indirect jobs that may or may not result from this project.
Once again, the local residents must bear the brunt of inconvenience; including road closures, heavy truck traffic, release of pollutants, etc. Meanwhile, Union members from Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and other community outsiders get the good paying jobs with benefits.
“Enough is Enough.”