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Show THE SAN JUAN RECORD Impact of clean-u- p project (continued from page - remediation project including residents from Montezuma Creek, Aneth, Mexican Hat, and Monument Valley. How many of these trained workers were hired? Project work is carried out contractors, who base their bids on known costs and the ability of experienced employees. Therefore, most contractors use employees already on the payroll. Local hires are limited in this circumstance, even though local people may have the necessary skills. Job Service and DOE records do not indicate what percentage of the local hires had been through the training programs prior to getting their jobs. How did local workers by storm over the Thanksgiving weekend provided ample raw material for some rather large snow men. Brad Winder photo A big learn about employment opportunities? According to the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, all suitable jobs offered by anyone in the flow of funds for contracts of $10,000 or more must be listed with the Job Service. DOE representatives have a different perspective, saying there is no requirement to list all subcontractor openings but that contractors are encouraged to do so. There is no requirement that hires 1) be selected from Job Service lists. Although no process is in place to allow either the DOE or Job Service to monitor if job openings are listed, 180 vacancies have been filled by persons referred by Job Service. Contractors who made greatest use of Job Service include Crowley Construction, Diamond Back, Laguna, Mountain Region, National Seal, and A total of 170 vacan- OHM. cies were filled through these listings. Curiously, very few Monticello residents registered with Job Service. Why are wages at the Monticello project lower than other uranium projects in the Grand Junction service area? clean-u- p There are several factors affecting the pay scale, including the classification of the project, prevailing local wages, and the willingness of the workforce to work at prevailing rates. The Department of Labor classified as the Monticello clean-uheavy construction, thereby setting a lower wage rate work at mill than clean-usites in Colorado. State economists report the average monthly wage in the Monticello area for August to October of 1995 was $1,636. p p Wednesday December 4. 1996 adequate insulation? Cut your Heating COSTS! DO IT YOURSELF! We have rentT $7.54 bag including blower Page 5 an increase of four percent over the 1994 level. However, the economists can not identify the role played by remediation work in this change. Popular explana- tions for the lower pay rates include a story that contrac- tors withhold $5 per hour from the pay-chec- k of each employee to be paid to the City of Monticello, a rumor the city and clean-u- p offi- cials deny. While the unemployment rate of 8.6 percent remains fairly steady, several Monticello businesses report the competition for employees has increased since the began. Most local employers believe that anyone who wants to work can clean-u- p find a job. Popular explanations for the lower pay rates include a story that contractors withhold $5 per hour from the paycheck of each employee. The withheld amount is allegedly paid to the City of Monticello as compensation. "The City receives no money from the project, other than for the water we sell and the utilities we provide said Monticello City Administrator Do you have - Trent Schafer. The DOE could not substantiate the story either, and workers who were heard to tell the tale were not willing to provide copies of their pay stubs to document the deduction. Were local contractors and suppliers given an opportunity to bid on project work? Geotech and MACTEC, the prime contractors for DOE, agree that local subcontrac- tors are good to work with and do their jobs well. One local subcontractor, Crowley Construction reports a 30 Cellulose Insulation percent increase in their payroll because of remediation work. While local petroluem distributor Sierra Petroleum estimates that 15 percent of their business this year was (please turn to page 20) PAUL R. MACDONALD D.D.S. San Juan Building Supply 1050 South Main Blanding 801-678-21- 40 15 EAST CENTER STREET BLANDING, UTAH 84511 |