Siegel applauds passage of bill increasing supply of skilled craft labor

Rep. Josh Siegel    October 18, 2023 | 5:10 PM

HARRISBURG, Oct. 18 – State Rep. Josh Siegel today applauded House passage of his bill that would establish a statewide responsible contractor law.

The bill, H.B. 1449, now on its way to the Senate for consideration, would establish clear requirements that firms bidding on publicly funded infrastructure projects must meet, including the requirement that they have a state or federally registered apprenticeship program and pay a prevailing wage rate to their workers.

“Across our Commonwealth and nation, construction firms are struggling to meet demand for work while lacking a sufficient supply of trained and skilled craft labor. Over the next decade, nearly 40% of all construction workers are expected to retire, all while our infrastructure and critical public works projects demand additional investment and upkeep. In short, skilled craft labor is in high demand and in short supply,” said Siegel, D-Lehigh. “However, with this passage today, we are one step closer to ensuring that Pennsylvania has the skilled craft labor to build for the future and ensure public safety during construction projects.

“Additionally, we need to protect our taxpayers from unreliable and deceptive contractors that underinvest and mistreat their workers while creating jobs for skilled workers,” he said. “This is what this bill would do, and I am glad my colleagues and I passed it out of the House.”

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