
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, January 16, 1994                   TAG: 9401160100
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Joel Turner
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WYATT GETS LABOR'S NOD FOR COUNCIL

Political newcomer Linda Wyatt has won organized labor's endorsement in her campaign for Roanoke City Council in the March 1 Democratic primary.

Wyatt, a teacher and former president of the Roanoke Education Association, was the unanimous choice of the United Central Labor Council of the Roanoke Valley.

She is running against Councilman James Harvey in the contest for the two-year seat.

Union leaders decided not to endorse any of the four candidates for the three four-year seats.

"We decided not to take sides in the primary for these seats," said C.W. Toney, president of the Southwestern Virginia Building Trades Council. "All of them have been generally favorable to labor."

Toney said union leaders will decide after the primary whether to endorse the Democratic nominees for the May 3 election.

Harvey has been endorsed by labor in the past, but he has upset union leaders by his comments regarding their complaints about the lack of local workers on city projects.

Harvey said the city is taking extraordinary steps to ensure that local workers and minority- and women-owned businesses get a fair share of the work on the Hotel Roanoke project.

The city has set a goal of at least 50 percent for local participation on the hotel project and 9 percent for minority- and women-owned businesses.

Toney said union leaders doubt the goals will be met. "We don't like some of the things which [Harvey] has said," Toney said.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB