ACTION ALERT

Please help us stop the awful construction wage theft bill HB24-1008. CCA does not condone or support any wage theft (improper amount of wages, not sending in withholdings for benefits or taxes, not paying overtime, cash pay, or improper classification as an independent contractor), but this bill stinks and is overkill when a much better solution exists (beefing up state enforcement of wage theft).

The Carpenters Union and a social justice front group called Towards Justice has found a state senator to introduce HB24-1008 Wage Claims Construction Industry Contractor. The bill has been passed by the House and now goes to the Senate where we have a chance to stop it. That’s where you come in – and we need your voice!

This bill: 

1. Makes the prime contractor on any project pay for the valid wage claims of any Specialty Contractor on a project at any tier.
2. Gives little incentive for the violating specialty contractor to pay wages correctly ($2,000 fine is only punishment)
3. Does not give the prime contractor the tools that the government has to stop wage theft 
4. Could cause the prime contractor to ask for payment & performance bonds from all contractors on a project (raising project costs for owners by 3% and hurting small contractors who can’t obtain a bond)
5. Will cause the prime contractor to develop a certified payroll on steroids (all persons on job documented by name and hours and verified paid to get invoice into pay app)

The worst part is there is a simple solution to address wage theft – which is to do like Denver and allow the state CO Dept of Labor & Employment (CDLE) to investigate and collect valid wage claims over $7,500. CDLE does this now for claims under $7,500 (AGC supported setting up the current system to address wage theft). The number of construction claims they look at annually is about 300, and about half of those (150) are deemed valid. Construction claims are 8.5% of total wage claims (3,300) in the state – the rest of the 3,000+ claims are other industries like restaurants, retail, internet companies, and temp agencies. This bill picks on construction only and lets 91.5% of the wage claims off the hook.

Please click here to visit AGC of Colorado's Advocacy Action Center and follow the instructions there to send an email to state Senate Members of the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees. Thank you!