TxDOT Caught Outsourcing! Italians, not Texans, building signature Dallas bridge

[MagickMuffin]

DALLAS — Seventy million dollars worth of federal, state and city funds are pouring into the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Supporters hope the span will be a signature for the city. But it may be remembered for something else, because the key jobs in its construction -- tens of thousands of man hours of work — are going to Italians.

On the construction site in the Trinity River bottoms, an American inspector told News 8: "If you don't speak Italian, it's going to be tough to communicate."

In broken English, a man who appeared to be a foreman, told me all the welders and helpers on the project — eleven in all — are from Italy.

The Texas Department of Transportation is buying the bridge. The steel comes from Italian company Cimolai. Cimolai imported the workers to build the span without giving Texans a chance at the jobs, which would have been required under H-2B visas, the kind specified for construction jobs.

{{{snip}}}

This is news to Williams Brothers Construction Company, the general contractor for the bridge.

We asked company spokesman Bill Miller if Italian welders are any different than American welders. "Presumably no," he chuckled. "Nothing that I can name."

TxDOT officials admit that the Italian workers actually welded the wrong ends of two sections of the bridge together.

"They turned one of the boxes around the wrong way," TxDOT inspector Stan Ybarra told News 8. "That happens. They’re only human."

All of this, however, is no joke for unemployed welders in North Texas, who might have been working on Dallas' signature bridge.

More:

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa091105_wz_calatrava.2881028d3.html

Of course Texas workers don't NEED no stickin' jobs. I found the part I put in bold to be especially troublesome. If the bridge falls down who will the victims get to sue. The TxDOT or the Italian company Cimolai?!?!?!?

[sonias]

1. Wow - I hope this gets a lot of traction

TxDOT creating jobs for Italian citizens in Texas. Who at TxDOT is responsible for pushing this project and awarding the contract to an Italian firm who did not know the rules of B-1 visas? TxDOT is pointing fingers at the Italian company Cimolai's lawyers. Everyone is blaming everyone else. Where does the buck stop?

State Department rules do allow commercial or industrial workers to enter the U.S. under B-1 visas. They are permitted to enter the U.S. to "install, service, or repair commercial or industrial equipment or machinery."

The rules specifically exclude construction such as bridge-building.

Sonia

[MagickMuffin]

2. Yep, I found that interesting as well

I guess the question should be raised WHY did TxDOT decide that outsourcing jobs was a good thing. Instead of hiring local well trained workers. Of course the Texas workers probably belong to (oh no dare I say it)............. UNIONS. Can't have that now can we???

Passing the buck and finding strange loopholes, to boot. Maybe the Italian company could add a loopty loop to the bridge.

[white cloud]

3. And we sit here wondering about or unemployment 10%

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/1...exas-wind-farm/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Texas

all about money

[tammywammy]

4. Pardon my language, but what assholes!

This is damn ridiculous!