Associated General Contractors We just watched the Governor announce the conclusion and withdrawal of Vermont’s Emergency Orders and pandemic restrictions. Thank you, and Congratulations.
As a country we could never have predicted what a virus like COVID-19 would do to peoples lives, the economy or the sense of safety lost by the pandemic. By the middle of March of 2020, we saw the writing on the wall and then Governor Phil Scotts “Stay Home Stay Safe” order meant we were in a serious crisis. Through this crisis many heroes rose from the ashes like the phoenix to restart our lives and we want to congratulate the general contractors, subcontractors, electricians, and other members of the association for their contribution to a job well done.
Scott lifts all state COVID-19 restrictions, state reaches 80 percent vaccination goal
A task force of the Associated General Contractors of Vermont and Vermont’s Independent Electrical Association assembled immediately via GoToMeeting to put together the first in the state COVID-19 Exposure Action plan to get people back to work. The plan was the first approved by the Restart Vermont commission, Department of Health and Agency of Commerce and Community Development even before Vermont Department of Labors plan. This helped organizations in the construction trades who adopted the plan return to work before any other sector and did it safely.
Our members, others from the construction trades, ski areas, state offices and even a few daycares attended our first of its kind return to work training creating over 2500 COVID-19 Safety Resource Officers charged with keeping job sites safe. Their efficacy is easily measured as the building trades boasted the lowest transmission rates on the job except for healthcare. They followed the protocols then worked cooperatively to keep their masks up and never let their guards down. Thank you to all in the field that made this happen.
The work didn’t stop there. Members of the association worked hard with our advocacy team to make sure recovery grants made it to companies and took advantage of programs like the Paycheck Protection Program to keep people off the unemployment system. Members were active with our elected leaders and helped save the unemployment insurance program by fixing technical glitches in the formula that would’ve plagued employers and employees alike for another decade.
All the while the task force continued to meet and hone “the plan” as it was called. The original plan was followed up with COVID 2.0., then COVID 3.0 and finally the Vermont Forward Plan which followed the states lead. The hours of time and dedication to the training was admirable. We took great pride in the office at AGC/VT seeing people who were less tech savvy learn how to navigate a computer and use a web conference tool for trainings sometimes for the first time. We still get a laugh talking about seeing pets take over a screen or watching them receive some help from a child or spouse.
So, with that we congratulate our members and everyone within the construction trades being a part of the solution to a once in a 100-year pandemic. As Governor Phil Scott said, “The ingenuity, creativity and dedication of all Vermonters - to their friends and families, to their neighbors, and to their communities - has been incredible and we should all be very proud.” We hope to never see something like this again, but we are confident that members of our industry are prepared to step up again to keep building Vermont strong safe!