(Source: Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2012)
LOS ANGELES — In a break with Los Angeles’ organized labor movement, Metro board members Monday awarded a crucial $890-million rail car contract to a giant Japanese firm that unions claim will create fewer jobs than a competitor and might violate federal requirements to use American workers. The Federal Transit Administration is reviewing whether the company will violate American worker requirements by doing climate testing of certain rail cars in Japan and not the United States.
Labor and civic organizations, including the Urban League and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, opposed the Kinkisharyo bid, saying the federal and local tax dollars that will pay for the rail cars should be used to create jobs in California, not Japan.
Full story: Los Angeles Times