By NICK LIPPA
Sept. 28, 2017
Local officials and business owners came together for the signing of a new executive order that focuses on hiring local labor for large construction projects in Erie County.
The First Source Policy, signed by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz Wednesday, requires construction projects in Erie County over $250,000 and involving at least three workers to employ qualified local residents, with a focus on hiring individuals from high-poverty areas. That includes 16 zip codes residing in Buffalo, Cheektowaga and Lackawanna, to name a few.
Buffalo NAACP President Rev. Mark Blue said this order will set a benchmark for other areas to follow.
“Getting a chance to move out of poverty, to get them into jobs that they’re skilled at and, hopefully, with the training that’s being done by the city and their Northland Project, bring them skills to where they’re employable not just for one job, but for many jobs,” Blue said.
He said the policy will help urban as well as rural residents.
“It’s equally distributing, let me say, wealth to areas that have received, wealth into areas that have been economically disadvantaged for years,” Blue said. “And also it brings hope to those who have not had an opportunity to be employed or even underemployed.”