SKIATOOK, Okla. — An Oklahoma community has banded together to address issues within the construction and contracting industry.
While it's in the beginning stages, the new Hispanic Contractors Association is picking up steam.
Omar Puentes is a contractor who works all over Oklahoma.
He said he’s run into a lot of issues in the industry as a contractor, and it’s why he decided to become a member of the new association.
"Primarily, I believe it would be a pillar of support for us Hispanic contractors," he said. "Giving us access to places we wouldn't otherwise be able to reach."
Puentes said some of the biggest issues contractors face is not knowing what rates to charge customers and not being paid for their work.
“I’ve lost money, especially since for many cases it’s too late to ask for it," he said. "I’ve lost close to 60, 70 thousand dollars during my five years of being a contractor.”
After doing some research, I found out that contractors and construction workers can file wage claims through the Oklahoma Department of Labor, no matter their legal status.
This can include issues with unpaid or late wages, missed final paychecks, or even minimum wage concerns.
For more information on what is needed to file a claim, you can visit the state's Wage Claim page.
To help get the word out about resources like this, founder Francisco Treviño wants to get the word out about the association.
“There’s not an organization for them, the Hispanic contractors," he said."They contribute a lot to the economy in the state of Oklahoma.”
Treviño said he’s done volunteer and advocacy work in the Hispanic community for 40 years.
He’s working to transform the association into a nonprofit and has a lot of plans for the future.
“We’ll be focusing on safety courses with OSHA, of course, educational networking, so they can get to know each other as well and do business together," he said. "Not just in the area of Tulsa, but also in Oklahoma.”
Treviño also said he plans to advocate for contractors at the federal government level to make a change on the legal side of things to increase representation.
For those interested in joining the association, you can visit the Hispanic Contractors Association through its Facebook page.
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