The CT Laborers’ District Council was focused on ensuring all in-state contractors had a fair shot in the bidding process for work based in Connecticut. Under the existing process, out of state contractors often won business with lower bids by cutting corners with unemployment, wages or benefits – violations of Connecticut's labor laws. To help bring attention to the issue, we formed a coalition called “CT First” and set out to educate government officials, developers, contractors and the media about these violations. We used an aggressive public relations and paid media campaign targeted to legislators, highlighting offending jobs around the state, often exposing contractors on the spot. The tact resulted in instant job stoppages, the additional hiring of in-state skilled labor, harsh penalties or sometimes the wholesale removal of contractors that violated state labor laws.