Under construction: Employment rule needs work, builders say

Should contractors who want to bid on jobs in construction-crazy St. Petersburg be compelled to hire apprentices, veterans, convicted felons and people whose incomes fall below the poverty line, instead of using their own employees?

That’s a question raised by the Associated Builders and Contractors’ Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, which filed a lawsuit Nov. 8 that challenges the Sunshine City’s Apprenticeship and Disadvantaged Worker Ordinances. The rule calls for 15% of a project’s work hours to be allocated to apprentices and an additional 15% to be allocated to disadvantaged workers.