Construction trade workers protest at Virginia Power
MICHAEL MARTZ/RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Bob Corby, a carpenter from Goochland County, hands out fliers at Dominion Virginia Power headquarters calling on the utility to hire more Virginia workers for its construction projects.
The people who build and repair Dominion Virginia Power plants today challenged the people who own them to hire more state workers for the jobs.
A group of union workers handed out fliers as Dominion employees arrived for work this morning at the electric utility's headquarters at One James River Plaza on East Cary Street in downtown Richmond . More than 50 workers participated, also handing out fliers in front of the Virginia Employment Commission's headquarters, Dominion's corporate offices on Tredegar Street and other downtown intersections.
"We just want our fair share of the work," said James E. "Toney" Rigali, president of the Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council.
Rigali, who estimates the council represents about 35,000 union-represented workers in a wide variety of crafts across the state, said the message is about Virginia workers, regardless of whether they belong to a union.
"Whether it's union or non-union, we just want Virginians to be first and get in these jobs," said Rigali, who is a member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters, Local 10, based in South Richmond.
The members of the trades council also include elevator and sheet metal workers, carpenters, electricians, boilermakers, bricklayers, plasterers and cement masons, millwrights, asbestos workers, operating engineers and laborers with Virginia licenses and in many cases state-certified training. They say too much work is going to out-of-state contractors at Dominion projects, including a new combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Buckingham County and a coal-fired plant in Wise County.
However, the protesters offered no documentation of the practice, other than anecdotal evidence that many contract workers live in other states.
Dominion spokesman Karl R. Neddenien said today that the utility has hired more than 200 local residents for its Wise County power plant, or abour 40 percent of the project work force.
"Dominion Virginia Power actively works with our construction contractors to promote hiring local residents and make employment opportunities available to union craft workers," Neddenien said.
"We also need to ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget to the benefit of our customers," he added.
The organizers of today's protest acknowledged the use of out-of-state contractors for Dominion construction projects isn't new, but they said times have changed because of the recession and the utility's request for a 6.9-percent increase in base utility rates.
"How are people going to pay their electric bill when they don't have a job?" Rigali asked.
-- Michael Martz
Reader Reactions
Kudos to William, Companies never can afford to build a job right the first time but they always find money to fix what the low bidder didn’t get right. This issue is not about union or non-union as Dave claims it’s about putting local craftsmen to work. Currently companies that produce electricity are given a tax credit for each ton of coal used that is mined in the Commonwealth of Virginia. If we the citizens of Virginia can give tax credits to Dominion for using Virginia coal why can’t they do the logical thing and put Virginian tax payers to work? We all need to put Virginia and Virginians first. As someone who pays for my electricity and own shares in Dominion I would like to see local workers used regardless of their union or non-union status.
The location of contractors’ head offices is and should be immaterial. Material considerations include demonstrated ability to perform the contract timely, on time, within budget, and in full compliance with plans, specification, and applicable building codes and regulations.
That a contractor might have its head office in Virginia does not guarantee any of the material factors or that employment of local labor will be greater.
I imagine that Dominion requires all work be done according to high standards. If a contractor doesn’t perform, I am sure they are required to fix the problem (at no extra cost). While it would be nice if they could give preference to contractors from within the state, as a rate payer, I expect the company to get the job done most efficiently to keep rates down. I expect that stockholders expect the same so that they get a good return on their investment. It seems that there was no hard evidence presented by the protesters so how are we to believe that this is really a problem anyway? How do we know that Dominion doesn’t hire people mostly locally (by the way, they do have operations outside of virginia).? The construction trades have really suffered as a result of the housing slump.. I am sure these protesters were too busy to bother with Dominion a couple years ago.. Now that they don’t have the other construction jobs, they are going to try to shame a company into doing something it shouldn’t have to do. As someone who does pay for my electricity.. I hope that Dominion hires the best value that can get the job done.
This is in response to Dave’s comment that out-of-state contractors may get jobs because they come in with the lowest bid. However, getting the job is one thing……. having qualified, reliable, highly-skilled craft people, who have been through apprenticeship programs, to perform the work ……. is quite another! There are instances where union contractors have had to go in AFTER the job is completed and fix or replace inferior work. So, in the end, Dominion is paying to have the work done ….. and then REDONE…..so I submit to you that the extra costs are passed on to consumers. Think about it! And keep in mind these workers are not even VIRGINIANS……. P.S.: Additionally, there also were non-union workers handing out flyers, as they too are Virginians in need of work.
‘A group of union workers…‘ Maybe work is going to out-of-state contractors because they bidded on the projects and came in with the lowest bid. After all, if Dominion is going to be responsible to the people it serves they should be doing so. Correct? I know guys from Virginia that find plenty of work up north because they aren’t unionized and can underbid northern competition. Maybe, just maybe, Dominion isn’t the problem but people who stand around on streets in Richmond demanding that Dominion be irresponsible and just pass the cost on to consumers.
Advertisement