Contractors still without pay months after Marriott Courtyard opens, says NCRA

It will be a late check-in for some at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel.

It’s not how the Northern Regional Construction Association was wanting to handle things, but after numerous contractors have been left without pay, they’ve been left with few other options.

The NRCA has called for its members to boycott the $30-million hotel in Prince George, nearly a year after it opened its doors back in May of 2018.

NRCA CEO Scott Bone told My PG Now that as of late 2018, the company responsible for guiding the construction project, Calgary-based UPA Construction Ltd., still owes local contractors for work that was done.

“I’ve been actively involved on this particular file for about 14 months,” said Bone.

Bone adds that apparently, the company is now expecting contractors to take cuts to wages already agreed upon in their contracts.

“Our membership cannot support a hotel when their general contractor continues to either not pay or demand reductions in their prices,” said Bone, stating that the decision to boycott the hotel was made with reluctance.

Bone is hoping this will not be a long-standing boycott, stating that the NRCA and its members are wanting to support the Marriott.

“It’s a wonderful hotel. They’ve done a great job,” he said. “This is not going to carry on. We’re now just making some decisions in the short-term, and we’ll reconsider in the near future.”

Cuts being proposed by UPA are anywhere from one to 30 per cent for outstanding contracts ranging from $5,000 to $900,000

The NRCA has about 180 members and a notice has been circulated to roughly 1,800 construction companies in the province.