By Eva Lloréns Vélez on July 30, 2018
SAN JUAN – Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló signed an executive order to increase the minimum wage for Puerto Rico construction industry employees to $15 an hour for government contracting. The order also requires locally produced cement for government construction projects.
In addition, the decree requires labor agreements for projects financed by the government to establish security conditions and professional training “for the protection of workers,” according to a release issued by the governor’s office, La Fortaleza, following his press conference there on the matter.
Local contractors complain that they are being discriminated against by the government in its project procurements in favor of stateside companies, which Rosselló acknowledged has happened historically, but noted differences when comparing local and mainland resource after a disaster.
“Sometimes there is not enough labor; sometimes they are huge projects that some of the local contractors do not qualify for and sometimes it’s remuneration. So what have we decided to do? We have decided to start looking for solutions,” he said at a press conference Monday.
The measure could apply to 36,000 to 44,000 construction workers, of which 21,000 are salaried employees who work for construction companies. “That is the potential universe of people that can be impacted as long as that construction company is bidding for construction work with the government,” Labor Secretary Carlos Saavedra said.
“One of the fundamental elements in the recovery of Puerto Rico is the construction industry, which is vital to be prepared for weather events and other emergencies that may affect us in the future,” the governor is quoted as saying in the release, adding that “now that Puerto Rico begins the road to reconstruction, it is indispensable that the local construction workforce be stronger than ever. We need more Puerto Rican construction workers, better trained, and better paid.”