Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steve Tolman and Massachusetts Building and Construction Trades Council President Frank Callahan say a recent newspaper article mischaracterizes their efforts in support of the 246-apartment construction project in Vicksburg Square that will provide homes for working families, create jobs and pump tens of millions into the local economy

On Monday, Nashoba Publishing ran an article, “Mass. AFL-CIO appeals to “Brothers and Sisters” on Vicksburg Square vote,” that suggested there had been “mixed reaction” to a letter sent by labor officials concerning a pending vote on a 246-apartment construction project in Vicksburg Square. The project aims to provide “workforce housing, available to working individuals making roughly $16,000 to $41,000 and for families making up to roughly $58,000.”

The vote is scheduled for tonight, March 28, at 7 p.m. (EDT)

But the article doesn’t do an entirely thorough job of showing that reactions to the letter have been mixed, including positive responses and others that did not characterize it as “outside pressure.”  Click herefor the original letter.

In response, Tolman and Callahan issued the following statement:

We are writing in response to several outrageous and erroneous statements that appeared in yesterday’s article ‘Mass. AFL-CIO appeals to “Brothers and Sisters” on Vicksburg Square vote.’

Marie Sobalvarro’s attempt to turn this debate into an “us vs. them” argument by characterizing the Massachusetts AFL-CIO as a “national union, directing its members to vote a certain way.” is both false and outrageous. First, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO represents hundreds of working families that live, work and vote in the towns of Harvard, Ayer and Shirley. Second, The AFL-CIO does not, cannot and would not presume to tell our members how to vote. Our letter provides our members with information on the project and encourages them to support it for the reasons stated. That is not only our democratically protected right, but our responsibility as leaders of our respective organizations.

Mark Coulter mischaracterizes as misleading our statement that the project would create “hundreds of jobs for members of our building trades” because we “decline to mention the jobs are temporary.” His statement ignores two facts;

1) The Fort Devens community has been hit hard by this recession and those jobs he describes as ‘temporary’ would be welcomed by the many tradespeople who have been struggling to find work in the last four years;

2) An investment of $83 million in the area is sure to generate additional economic activity and thus more jobs—both “temporary” construction jobs and permanent jobs.

Lastly, I want to inform Harvard resident Wade Holzman about the economic realities in our state. He is “outraged at the mistruths” questioning “How many people in the working force make as little as $41K to qualify for an affordable unit.” We too are outraged but for a different reason. $41K a year is not enough to support a family in Massachusetts and too many hard working Massachusetts residents earn that or less. That is why the Massachusetts Building Trades and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO support this project. The construction workers on this project will be paid prevailing wages and workers who earn $41K a year or less will have an affordable place to live.

The AFL-CIO was founded to improve the wages, hours, working conditions and the general quality of life for all workers, not just our members. Our support for this project is wholly consistent with that mission. We respect the rights of those who disagree with us. However, we firmly reject their demands that we surrender our rights and retreat from our long held principles.

Sincerely,
Steven A. Tolman
President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO

Francis X. Callahan, Jr.
Massachusetts Building Trades Council