“All you need is love? All we need is jobs!” was the chant Jobs for Somerville members shouted as they delivered close to 200 valentines from community members urging Mayor Joe Curtatone to pass the Somerville Local Hiring Ordinance. Frustrated by the Mayor’s lack of action and his threats to veto the ordinance if it gets passed by the Board of Aldermen, Jobs for Somerville organized a Valentine’s-themed call in day to show how much Somerville loves local jobs. They ended the day by delivering valentines with messages ranging from the earnest “I’m pregnant. I need a job” to the simple “MOVE YOUR A**.”

“I went [to deliver valentines] today because I want to tell the mayor to sign the damn piece of paper to put Somerville people to work,” said Frank Gargano, a 46-year-old unemployed telecommunications worker who was frustrated that the Mayor refused to speak to the group, “I’ve been looking for work since 2007. I need a job today.” Gargano, along with 11 others, were told that they had to officially schedule a meeting with the Mayor to see him, despite having attempted many times to do so.  “We expect to hear from you very soon” responded Roger Galán, the group’s chair, to Mayor Curtatone’s aide.

The Somerville Local Hiring Ordinance was introduced by Alderman Bruce Desmond and Alderman Maryann Heuston in June to the Board of Aldermen, who unanimously cosponsored the legislation. Since then, the Ordinance has sat in the Legislative Matters committee, even as 630 Somerville residents signed a petition in support of it and turned out to public hearings and community meetings. In November, the Mayor threatened to veto the Ordinance, citing legal concerns that expert lawyers have since refuted. Community members continue to demand the passage of the Ordinance, which would set aside 30% of jobs for local people on publicly-funded development.

–press release from Jobs for Somerville