Phila. City Council passes hire-in-Philly rule
For "first-time entry-level workers" at firms that work for the city, rent city property or accept city financing.
Phila. City Council passes hire-in-Philly rule
Joseph N. DiStefano
Private firms and contractors that do at least $25,000 in City of Philadelphia-funded business or receive city financial assistance will have to agree to try to hire "first-time entry-level workers" from a list of city residents, to do city-funded work, instead of using out-of-town or suburban employees, under legislation passed unanimously in City Council today.
Firms are free to hire off the city list if they can't find city workers within 10 days of starting their search. The bill also requires contractors to list "job requirements" so the city can collect data on the kind of jobs employers want to fill.
The bill looks like a compromise between an early Bill Green (D-At Large)-backed bill that would require at least half of tradespeople and non-professional workers hired by city contractors to be city residents, and objections by critics, including Jim Kenney (D-At Large), who said it was unfair to apply such a blanket law to blue-collar workers but not to college-educated professional employees.
Green was lead sponsor of the revised bill, which awaits action by Mayor Nutter.
Comments (60)
As an Independent, AND City resident, show me the money and I'll show you what hard work looks like. I can out work ANY (4) out-of-town whiners, so I'll be looking for work as a Foreman. Have clip board & Daily News, will travel [within city limits.]— bad joe s- Some of the suburbanites should remember one reality that you seem to forget when you try very hard to put Philly down:
There is no "suburban" without "urban", there is no large suburban counties (metropolitan area) without Philly. Whether you admit it or not, you need Philly.
Philly needs to take care of its residents even the ones with criminal records (it's good policy for the city).— EIK - I'm having a really hard time understanding what's wrong with this. City Council isn't saying ALL businesses need to hire City residents, they are saying businesses that are being rewarded contracts FROM THE CITY ITSELF hire residents. I thought the Paid Sick Bill was overreaching, but with 12% unemployment in the City itself I don't see anything wrong with making sure City residents get maximum benefit from City-funded projects rather than suburbanites. And if businesses don't like that, no problem, just don't bid on public projects. Plenty of others will.— Whatjugot
- Don't hire the best people for the job, that would make to much sense .
(MORONS).. Now government wants to tell you who to hire and where you can hire them from. (MORONS)— winter 
How does this new rule make one whit of common sense when Council voted to let city workers live outside of our Faier Countrie Towne? What fools! What tools!— The Monk- Monk-again, let me ask, besides SOME police officers (I believe they have to have 5 years on the job first, I could be wrong), no other city worker is permitted to live outside the city limits legally. Except teachers, God forbid anyone messes with the teachers. Who else do you mean? As a Firefighter, I know I have to live in Philly-I condition of my employment that I happily accepted 0ver 28 years ago, when, admittedly, things were different-I digress. That stated, I know at least one who DOES reside in NJ, but she has that "special" designation, and no one will confront her because of it. Fairness is in the eye of the people who are in charge, I guess... — Genghis
- Only in Taxadelphia can Council write a rule for businesses that they refuse to follow themselves. WHY are any city workers allowed to live outside of Our Faire Countrie Towne when they expect private businesses to hire inner city workers? Stupid is as stupid does.— The Monk
- InNane is right on the money. We know of one "consultant" who is technically under the health department's contractor and called a deputy commissioner by another department who makes $250,000 a year and lives in NJ. To make matters more interesting, he also has an expense account clause that includes car usage, lunches, and additional staff, among other perks. A typical example of who your are related to and politics at its worse.— gb
- Does the city of Philadelphia have problems with corruption and nepotism?
Of course, it does, most cities do (I hope the FBI, the voters and others will get rid of some of it). However, that does not automatically make every rule passed by the City Council stupid/nonworkable/not good for the city.
As for the "merit" selection of people, "merit" is in the eye of the beholder. Nepotism/discrimination/preferences exist even in the private companies. I know because I have gone to some of the top schools in this country (on "merit" scholarships). I have seen a lot of people with questionable "merit" but with the right "pedigree" get a lot of high paying jobs in private businesses.
I have also gained a very good "good old boys network" who are the alumni of the schools that I have gone to who are willing to put their own alumni at the head of the line!
That's part of the "merit" in the private businesses as well: who you know sometimes trumps what you know in public and private!
— EIK - .."to hire "first-time entry-level workers" from a list of city residents, to do city-funded work"...
Question: Who is going to have the responsibility to compile the list, and where is the names of residents going to come from ??? Please tell me, not City Council!!!— Dadair1 
I think the city should just pay people from outside the city to do the work for its residents, outside of the city, by taking the poorest drug addicts and homeless and parking them Longwood Gardens.
What a crock. Why hire inept city folk when you can get more qualified sububan people who really WANT to work?— Ben Fan- haha this is hilarious! way to go philly! keep losing all the talent to other areas. Business privelage tax, high payroll tax, parking, crime infested, property value sky rocketing past the median household. Who is going want to invest there? Oh thats right the criminal defense attorneys,Eagles,Sixers,Flyers,Phillies and Comcast. Maybe they can make the high rises into state of the art correctional facilities once they force all the business out. It will be like the "Escape from Philly" one big jail..haha— Ameriett
- No, dum-dum, this is how you keep tax expenditures within the city.— 1972bline
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the city is unsafe. Crime is everywhere. Taxes are ridiculous. And now, this?— Joe Nickels
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Joseph N. DiStefano blogs about the latest news in the Philadelphia business community and elsewhere. Contact him at 215-854-5194.
Reach Joseph N. at JoeD@phillynews.com.
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