CWA and Allies Lobby in CO for Better Broadband Buildout

Last week, CWA members and allies joined Colorado Representative Tammy Story (D) at a press conference to announce her bill, HB24-1245, also referred to as the “Fair Labor Practice Requirements for Broadband Projects” bill. The proposed legislation would require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to pay a prevailing wage and promote good labor standards for broadband workers when they receive public funds to build Colorado broadband deployment projects.

Colorado is receiving $826.5 million in federal funding through President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and just recently released another $113 million from the state’s Capital Projects Fund, all to expand broadband access. “CWA members have been hard at work to ensure this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to close our country’s digital divide doesn’t go to waste. Colorado must ensure that Internet Service Providers provide high-quality wages and benefits, and will create good jobs in Colorado,” said CWA Local 7777 President Anthony Scorzo. “We want to make sure every community has access to broadband 50 years from now. Should it be done by highly trained professionals or go to contractors who take the money out of state? We want to make sure companies use labor standards and pay a prevailing wage.”

“Between both federal and state funding, Colorado will be spending over a billion dollars to upgrade and expand internet access, an historic investment that comes with the potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs,” said Sandra Parker, Executive Board Member of CWA Local 7777 in Denver. “However, this vision can only be realized if guardrails are put in place to ensure broadband deployment is done equitably and safely with a well-trained, highly-qualified local workforce.”

 
CWA members and supporters, including CWA District 7 Vice President Susie McAllister (second from left) and CWA Local 7777 President Anthony Scorzo (far left, back row) participated in a press conference to introduce the Fair Labor Practice Requirements for Broadband Projects bill (HB24-1245).

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.