Informational picket takes Heartland FCU to task for using out-of-town labor

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A big, fat cat stood along South Berkley Road over the past week, and it had a message for motorists and clients of Heartland Federal Credit Union: Use local labor on construction projects.

According to Andrew Jones, business agent for Carpenters Local 615, his members were left out of the construction work being conducted by the credit union. He and other members of the local assembled an informational picket in front of the business to express their concern.

“We’re just out here trying to stand up for local carpenters and local contractors that pay area standard wages and benefits,” said Jones. “Our signatory contractors did not land this project. All of the carpenters’ work went non-union. And we have some documentation of the carpenters who performed all the wood framing and plywood were getting paid under the table.”

This off-the-books practice of utilizing labor that isn’t local, and often includes undocumented workers, is “happening in Kokomo a lot,” Jones explained. Earlier this year, the local Carpenters union released information supporting this claim, as construction jobs at two separate apartment complex projects conducted business in this manner.

The Carpenters aren’t willing to let the matter rest without a fight. Hence the inflatable “fat cat” standing on Berkley Road, choking out local workers.

“We’ve tried to work with different developers and end users to explain this is what’s going to happen if you hire these types of contractors,” said Jones. “And honestly, we’re probably going to start doing a little bit more of this, just to get the word out to the community.”

Jones acknowledged that the practice of contractors paying workers under the table or utilizing untrained or undocumented workers could be reduced or even stopped by local business and government leaders stepping up to ensure local, professionally trained workers are used whenever possible.

“When a developer wants to do a project in Howard County, possibly for the chamber or the city, the mayor could slide a list over and say, ‘These are the contractors locally that do pay area standard wages and benefits,’ because when you do hire those types of contractors that pay area standard wages, they give back to the community as well.”

That “giving back” part is important, Jones explained. Local workers making legal, living wages and earning benefits are much more likely to pay taxes locally, shop and eat locally, and give to local nonprofits to help lift the entire community. Out-of-town labor being paid sub-standard wages, take their under-the-table cash payments out of the community and back to their own communities.

“We’re not forcing any contractor on any end user, but we do like to educate the community,” said Jones. “If you do hire these types of people, this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to get possibly undocumented workers, workers getting paid cash, and then they’re going to go back to their own communities to spend that cash.”