Local labor unions could be willing to sign off on a compromise that still would give preference to businesses that use local workers as long as the result is the same at the end of the day, a local attorney said Wednesday.
“It appears the City Council, through trying to resolve some disputes, is trying to put it through the back door,” said Jimmy Rodgers, attorney for the Chattanooga Area Labor Council and Chattanooga Building and Construction Trades Council. “If that’s what it takes, then so be it.”
The council voted 9-0 Tuesday night to put a two-week delay on a second reading of the proposed ordinance change. The change states that, in the event of a tie, the business or contractor that employs the most local workers or resources in a 75-mile radius of Chattanooga would get the job.
Last week, the council voted 5-4 to approve the measure.
Councilwoman Pam Ladd proposed a compromise Tuesday after talking with Paul Page, the city’s director of general services. She said Mr. Page told her that the proposed change could be placed in the city’s bidding manual, eliminating the need for an ordinance. She said the result would be the same and that the city would have to follow the manual, therefore making sure local bidders received precedence.
Ms. Ladd said she heard from local contractors last week, and their concerns led her to investigate the need for a compromise.
Opponents say they believe other cities could retaliate by establishing their own local preference laws, keeping Chattanooga contractors from working in other cities.
“It wasn’t a perceived concern,” Ms. Ladd said. “It was a real concern.”
She said she thinks of herself as the swing vote for the proposed ordinance.
Councilman Manny Rico said he has heard numerous arguments about the possibility of retaliation by other cities. He voted against the local preference clause and said he thinks the arguments are starting to shift the council toward not instituting it.
“The way I’m hearing, it may be best not to do anything,” he said.
Another added wrinkle in the debate occurred Wednesday. Councilmen Andraé McGary and Russell Gilbert will both be out of town when the ordinance comes up for discussion again in two weeks.
Mr. McGary said Wednesday he planned to monitor the situation closely to make sure a vote does not occur that would kill the ordinance clause entirely. He said he could support Ms. Ladd’s compromise, as long as 13 other criteria the city can use to determine who gets a bid go into the purchasing manual.
“If everything is going in the manual, this goes away,” he said.
WHAT’S NEXTThe City Council will talk about the local preference clause again on Tuesday, March 2. If there are any signs of trouble for the ordinance, Councilman Andraé McGary said he could ask for an up or down vote beforehand.
But he said if he hears anything differently by next Tuesday, he would ask for an up or down vote on the proposed ordinance change.
Mr. Gilbert, who will also be out of town, said Wednesday the measure might need to be postponed another week and said he wanted to take part in any discussions.
“I want to do it with me there,” he said. “I don’t want to be out of town.”