The Colorado Contractors Association, along with six other construction associations, believe the mandate violates the U.S. Constitution’s contracts clause because it substantially impairs their existing contract rights with the city. As reported by Construction Dive, the associations expect the city to fine companies up to $5,000 per day if they do not comply. The Colorado Contractors Association (CCA) argues that this is much stricter than President Joe Biden’s executive order that businesses with 100 or more employees must require vaccinations or have employees get regularly tested for COVID-19. 

The CCA says its members aren’t anti-vaccine, but the city of Denver hasn’t given contractors enough time to comply because of the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy among construction workers. The CCA attributes this delay to the fact that the construction industry is largely composed of minority workers who are more reluctant to get vaccinated due to mistrust of the government.