138th Year... and still on the job!	Friday September 28, 2007

Bechtel official: Not enough workers here

Even trade union officials have said they'll be importing construction
workers and others to help build the chemical destruction plant.

By JOHN NORTON
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAN

For years, Pueblo construction workers have been looking forward to the day when Bechtel would start hiring crews to build the plant where Pueblo's aging stockpile of chemical weapons will be destroyed.

But Paul Henry, Bechtel's project manager for Pueblo, said this week, "alarm bells are going off."

He spoke to the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Committee Wednesday night as Bechtel starts to hire workers. And he said he's been warned that workers likely won’t be coming from Pueblo.

Henry said that building trade union officials have said that they will be importing workers from Colorado Springs and Denver.

Because of Pueblo's continuing construction activity, especially Xcel Energy's third unit at the Comanche Station power plant and GCC Rio Grande's new cement plant, along with many smaller projects, most local people are busy.

Chuck Trent, owner of Main Electric said that he's gotten a number of out-of-town electricians filling jobs at Comanche.

Besides construction work, Henry also said that hiring has been slow for other jobs such as supervisory positions and specialists. So far, because much of the work is in its early stages, it hasn’t slowed things down - but it is a concern.

Asked if the background checks required by the Defense Department was a cause, Henry said that was not the problem.

"It's skills and experience," he said.

He told the commission that there are 133 people in non-construction jobs, 28 of them local hires and 27 construction workers employed directly by Bechtel. In addition, subcontractors have an average of 40 people a day at the Pueblo Chemical Depot site.

Upcoming contracts include finishing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work on a multi-purpose building, unarmed guard service, concrete pump truck rental, rebar and structural steel, electrical cable pulling equipment and miscellaneous construction equipment.

A special Web page also has been set up for anyone wishing to apply for work.

ON THE NET

Bechtel jobs:
pueblo.bechtel.com