President Barack Obama said that he wanted his $787 billion economic stimulus package to put Americans to work on “shovel-ready” construction projects quickly. And UBC members took him at his word.
Before the president had time to put away his pen after signing the package into law on March 11, Brotherhood members from the Carpenters District Council of Kansas City and Vicinity were breaking ground on a new bridge over the Osage River in Tuscombia, Mo., to replace the Depression-era span that was crumbling with age.
Missouri officials made a conscious effort to be first in the country to put the stimulus package to work in restoring the economy. Gov. Jay Nixon and the state highway commissioners had all gathered at the construction site in the central part of the state in anticipation of the legislation becoming law.
“They felt the money was coming, and this was going to be the first project because this bridge has been on the docket for quite a while,” said Dale Verslues, a business representative for the KC Council.
“Our union is very close with the governor. They had a TV set up, and when President Obama signed the bill, the highway commission took a vote. As soon as the vote was counted and accepted, they signed the contract for the project.”
And at that point, several members of the construction trades union made a start on the $8.5 million project.
“We were ready to go,” said John Batye, another business representative for the KC Council who attended the signing ceremony along with Verslues. “Our members need the work, and Missouri needs a new bridge.”
Batye said it will take around a year to complete work on the bridge. It's one of about 20 stimulus-funded projects in Missouri that will put UBC members to work driving piles, setting forms, completing interior systems, constructing concrete forms, laying floors, and doing finish work at worksites such as bridges, schools, hospitals, and every kind of infrastructure improvement.
In all Missouri will receive $637 million in stimulus money for highway and bridge work. An estimated 14,000 jobs will be created with an estimated $2.4 billion impact on the state's economy.
“As I told the governor, when you put labor to work on Friday, the economy will get a boost on Monday,” Verslues said.