Stephen Joins Contractors, Workers Blasting Lack Of Progress Towards Job Corps Center In Manchester

Re-printed press release from the Stephen for Governor Website:

Thursday, 24 June 2010 10:55

Stephen Joins Contractors, Workers Blasting Lack Of Progress Towards Job Corps Center In Manchester

“MANCHESTER, NH- John Stephen, Republican candidate for Governor, today joined contractors and workers in calling for the federal Department of Labor to re-solicit the bid for the Job Corps Center in Manchester.  New Hampshire is currently the only state in the nation that is not moving forward on completing a Job Corps Center.  The project received approval for up to $35 million in federal funding in 2008, but stalled in November of 2009 after local contractors filed a complaint with DOL when the original solicitation included a project labor agreement (PLA) that would have excluded most New Hampshire contractors from bidding on the work.  Since then, there has been no movement to re-offer the solicitation to bid on the work.

“For the past nearly eight months, there has been no progress at all towards moving forward on bringing the Job Corps Center to Manchester,” Stephen said.  “That means for eight months that New Hampshire has not created numerous construction jobs or added millions to our economy.  If our leaders were seriously committed to doing everything possible to create jobs, it would seem that a $35 million project would be a good place to start.  We need to get this project moving again in a way that gives our local employers a fair shot at winning the work.”

Stephen said that Governor Lynch needs to take a leadership role on this issue to bring DOL and local contractors together to ensure that the project begins to move forward again.

“Governor Lynch has said he wants to do all he can to create jobs, but for the past eight months, he has be silent on an contract that could be putting hundreds of people to work today,” Stephen added.  “If the Governor really wanted to create jobs, he would be leading the charge to get the Department of Labor to re-solicit this bid in a way that gives New Hampshire contractors a chance at this work.  We need somebody who is going to take helping to bring good new jobs here and leading our economic recovery, not someone who is going to sit on the sidelines.”

Filed under: Department of Labor, Job Corps, Manchester Job Corps Center, Newspaper Reports, politics, Republican, Job Corps Center in Manchester, re-solicit, Stephen for Governor, U.S. Department of Labor