Ayotte to Obama: Keep SOTU Promise

U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, is asking President Obama to make good on his promise to expedite federal construction projects by removing the "red tape" that can slow projects, such as the proposed Job Corps Center in Manchester, to a halt.

Ayotte contends the project labor agreements, or PLAs, required by Obama's executive order prevent some New Hampshire contractors from being able to successfully compete for work on the NH project.

Writes Ayotte:

"One of the most important steps Washington can take to get Americans back to work is to eliminate onerous government regulations that hinder job creation.  Therefore, in order to cut through government red tape and help spur employment, I respectfully ask that you also rescind Executive Order 13502, which you issued in February 2009."

The $30 million residential education and job training center is being designed to offer low-income young adults aged 16-24 years old the skills and tools they'll need to become productive citizens and talented workers in New Hampshire's diverse economy.

The center would be open to all eligible New Hampshire young adults and would target training for fast-growing industry clusters in Homeland Security, Healthcare and Hospitality (www.NHJobCorps.com.)

Project Labor Agreements are defined in Executive Order 13502 as:

A pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. 158(f).

You can link here to see updates and progress on the construction proposal, at FedBizOpps.gov

Link here to read the full text of Ayotte's letter to President Obama.