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Rivera Touts Major Moves at MICCS Meeting
5/19/2006
 By Max Showalter, journalandcourier.com
Lafayette, Indiana, March 16, 2006 -- Less than 18 hours after the state legislature approved House Bill 1008, the Major Moves bill, the commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor was in Lafayette, speaking enthusiastically about funding that will be available for road and bridge projects through a 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road.
"What this means is that you guys who build things and construct things -- get ready. You're going to be busy," Miguel Rivera told more than 30 people attending a meeting of the Greater Lafayette Council of MICCS, the Metro Indianapolis Coalition for Construction Safety.
Rivera estimated the legislation could create 180,000 jobs over the next 10 years.
"My big push is to be sure we hire all of the Hoosiers first before we go outside the state. We've got tons of Hoosiers who need jobs," he said. "Change is painful, it always is. But I think 15 years from now, when we have all the roads and bridges and the economy is strong, we'll wonder why it took so long."
Jim Bain, executive director of Top Notch of Greater Lafayette, a labor and management association for union construction, attended the luncheon meeting and expects the work generated through Major Moves will be beneficial to local employment.
"It's good for the construction industry as a whole. From an independent perspective, you have to be pleased with it," Bain said. "If you're going to build infrastructure, we're going to build it."
During his speech at the Holiday Inn Select City Centre, Rivera also recounted his first 15 months as commissioner of the department of labor, following appointment by Gov. Mitch Daniels, and outlined future plans for the agency that has 98 employees.
"It's important that government says what it's going to do, doing what we say and reporting back to you on it," he said. "Our goal is not to write a bunch of fines and penalties. Our goal is a reduction of deaths and injuries at work sites."
Included in that effort is an increased participation among companies in the state's Voluntary Protection Program and joint safety enforcement projects with various construction firms.
"The state is partnering with companies they believe are better-managed companies. They are the ones whose safety records reflect that," said Bill Forney, chairman of the Greater Lafayette Council of MICCS. "We really think MICCS can offer assistance to owners and contractors. Safety is a great indicator that says, 'I planned the job right.' "
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