What We Stand For
Build projects once, do them right:
- Properly-skilled construction workers, paid fairly to do the difficult and dangerous jobs they are trained to do
- Heat safety and other safe working conditions
- Oversight and accountability for government-funded projects
Arizona Families Want A Robust Transportation Infrastructure
90 percent of Arizona voters agree “a robust transportation infrastructure system, including investments in our freeways, streets, and transit throughout the State of Arizona, is critical to moving people, goods, and services throughout the state and essential to our long-term economic success.”
Experts Say Investments Boost Arizona’s Economy
A national transportation research nonprofit says “investments in the surface transportation system will boost Arizona’s economy in the short-term by creating jobs and in the long-term will enhance economic competitiveness, stimulate sustained job growth, improve access and mobility, improve traffic safety, reduce travel delays, and improve road and bridge conditions.”
Ensure Quality Work
We all depend on hospitals, highways, schools and water systems. Quality construction matters. We must maintain and ensure the construction work is done properly the first time, to ensure the safety of the public and avoid costly fixes afterwards.
Respect Skilled Trades
Skilled trade workers like the operating engineers who manage cranes, bulldozers and other heavy machinery, carpenters, laborers, electricians, welders and others, take pride in their work. They display great dedication to building our state’s infrastructure safely. Too often, society undervalues these jobs, leading to essential public construction projects staffed with less-skilled workers, many from outside Arizona. That means our hospitals, schools and highways are often built with improperly trained workers which leads to major shortages of highly skilled trades professionals.
Improving Arizona laws to ensure fair pay, heat safety and other safe working conditions, and training standards on public infrastructure projects, will ensure we have the workers to build our essential public infrastructure safely and up to proper standards –
Improving these laws will also incentivize more young men and women to enter the trades, where they can find a good career and take care of their families – while helping build our communities safely.
Heat Safety
Construction workers often work day after day in high temperatures – and these dangerous conditions only get worse as temperatures rise. Imagine laying 400-degree asphalt on a 120-degree day. We need stronger protections to keep workers safe in the heat.
Better Oversight Means Fair Pay for AZ Workers
Cost of living in Nevada is the same as Arizona – it’s skyrocketing – but because they have stronger oversight of public infrastructure projects, a heavy machine operator in Nevada makes 40% more than one in Arizona.
In Arizona, a lack of oversight on public infrastructure contracts means low-quality, out-of-state contractors are underbidding and underpaying their workers. These low wages are hurting Arizona workers and their families.
We must improve Arizona laws to keep skilled workers in Arizona and pay them fairly. Improved standards will ensure Arizona businesses and trained, skilled Arizona workers are doing our most important projects.
Local Control
Phoenix and Tucson both recently passed laws increasing oversight for public infrastructure contracts to achieve these goals, but were blocked by a lawsuit. Local communities should have the freedom to ensure safety and quality on local public projects.
In Arizona, a lack of oversight on public infrastructure contracts means low-quality, out-of-state contractors are underbidding and underpaying their workers. These low wages are hurting Arizona workers and their families.
We must improve Arizona laws to keep skilled workers in Arizona and pay them fairly. Improved standards will ensure Arizona businesses and trained, skilled Arizona workers are doing our most important projects.