A historic point in time for the RI construction industry.

Stephen A. Cardi II
CIRI President

Everywhere you look across Rhode Island today, you’ll see tangible results of the dynamic RhodeWorks program. Under the leadership of Director Alviti, RIDOT has totally revamped its methods and systems for the building and rehabilitation of infrastructure in Rhode Island. As a result, the program continues to reach unprecedented milestones.

In the month of September 2019 alone, RIDOT published a bid schedule of $80 million —  the highest aggregate value ever for a monthly bid schedule. To put this in further perspective, prior to RhodeWorks, the typical bid schedule total used to be $70 million to $80 million for an entire year. Major projects that were previously postponed for decades are being brought to fruition. The sum total of long-term and short-term projects are already providing benefits for residents and businesses across our state.

An especially opportune time to be a CIRI member.

Employment in our industry is at an all-time high. At the same time, the heavy and highway construction industry is more complex than ever. Accordingly, CIRI continues to enhance and expand its services to help members serve the interests of their respective companies, their workforces and the state at large. The diverse benefits we provide include:

Labor relations negotiations. CIRI provides a forum and platform for member companies to negotiate and partner with Rhode Island’s key trade unions, in order to reach consensus on collective bargaining agreements that are mutually beneficial.

Active advocacy in the state legislature. CIRI works to foster mutually beneficial relationships with government departments and agencies. We are represented on the State Transportation Advisory Committee. The year-round work of our CIRI Political Action Committee (PAC), which makes our views known on issues important to the industry, includes the monitoring of all bills submitted to the General Assembly.

Advocacy in Washington through ARTBA. CIRI is a member of the American Road & Transportation Builders of America (ARTBA), which I’m also pleased to serve as a Director. We help this dynamic industry organization to preserve the vital role of the transportation design and construction industry in the American economy — while lending support to candidates who are champions for transportation investment. The technical and informational resources provided by ARTBA are an added advantage that benefits all CIRI members.

A crucial resource for safety and compliance. The CIRI Safety Committee continues to expand the depth and breadth of our safety training and certification activities. The ways we help you protect valued employees include collaborative training/certification initiatives with industry partners and allies, toolbox talks for jobsite personnel, and special pricing on safety apparel and accessories.

The continued growth of our scholarship program. In 2019, our Henry J. Sherlock Scholarships program awarded six high school students with $3,500 each. Since 2011, CIRI has presented 43 scholarships to college bound students who are children or grandchildren of employees at CIRI member companies.

We’re always open for enrollment.

All of us at CIRI are looking forward to another dynamic and fruitful year for transportation initiatives in 2020. Help us to spread the word. Any company that could benefit from joining CIRI is invited to call us at 401-738-8530 — email us at exec@ciri.net — or visit our Join/Contact page to download a membership application.

Sincerely,

 

 

Stephen A. Cardi II
CIRI President

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