FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (1/30/2010)
Contact: Jenn Penn – 720-937-2148
Public Contracting Jobs Protection Act (SB10-116) Introduced in the Colorado Senate
(Denver) – Senator Mike Kopp and Representatives Joe Rice and Kevin Priola introduced SB10-116 – the Public Contracting Jobs Protection Act – on January 28, 2010.
The Building Jobs4Colorado coalition, a broad coalition of construction industry owners, general contractors, sub-contractors and sub-sub contractors across Colorado that represents more than 1,500 companies and tens of thousands of Colorado citizens, proudly supports SB10-116 and commends Senator Kopp and Representatives Rice and Priola for their leadership on the effort to save jobs in the construction industry.
“With national unemployment in the construction industry hovering around 23%”, said Michael Gifford, Executive Director of the Associated General Contractors of Colorado and member of the BJ4C Coalition, “the need for SB10-116 is more essential than ever before”.
“Because of stimulus dollars, public works projects are just about the only source for new jobs in the construction industry”, said Dave Davia, Executive Vice President / CEO of the Colorado Mechanical and Plumbing Contractors and member of the BJ4C Coalition. “Current contracting practices by some local governments, for additional directed work, have the effect of delaying cash flow to construction firms during a project, making it difficult to keep workers employed. SB10-116 will certainly assist the construction industry during these difficult financial times”.
SB10-116, the Public Contracting Jobs Protection Act will require public entities to reimburse contractors for their costs for additional directed work until a change order agreement can be reached. Current practices require contractors to pay upfront labor and materials costs for any additional work until a change order agreement can be reached which sometimes takes many months. SB10-116 will ensure contractors are paid on a timely basis for change directive work, creating a great stimulus for the Colorado economy and keeping Colorado workers employed.
