Fearing legal repercussions, Thunder Bay city council is back-peddling on its plans to retender a large water treatment plant contract. Initially the city considered retendering in order to ensure a fixed percentage of local labor would be used in the $50.9-million contract. The company on top of the list for the biggest public works contract in the city's history is from out of town and comes with its own workforce. A large group of local tradespeople at a recent council meeting say they were disappointed with council's decision not to retender.
However, the company is looking into hiring about 25 per cent local workers for the project, and will have to hire about 20 subtrades, including roofing, concrete, electrical, mechanical and piledriving.
Construction of the plant will begin in October.
