bill-would-allow-cities-counties-to-opt-out-of-prevailing-wage

Letter to the editor: Prevailing wage benefits economy (PA)

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sunday, Aug. 26, 2018, 9:04 p.m.

Regarding Ray Borkoski’s letter ( “End prevailing wage in Pa.,” July 25, TribLIVE): The benefit prevailing wage provides to the local economy is immeasurable. Prevailing wage ensures tax money is used solely to benefit the public and the taxpayer by requiring the hiring of local, skilled workers, which stimulates all aspects of the local economy. When local people are working they spend money on homes, cars, food, clothes, etc.

Without prevailing wage, we would see an increase in contractors misclassifying workers, paying cash and avoiding paying payroll taxes. This leads to a loss in state revenue in the hundreds of millions.

States with weak or no prevailing wage laws spend $367 million more a year on food stamps and earned income tax credits for blue-collar construction workers than states with prevailing wage laws.

Without prevailing wage, you also lose safety standards and responsible contractors. What is the advantage of building a bridge “cheaper”?

Prevailing wage is not a union or nonunion issue; without prevailing wage, all wages fall. The standard of prevailing wage is set by a survey of the entire construction market in a local area.

The Midwest Economic Policy Institute found that after the repeal of prevailing wage in Indiana, the lowest paid construction workers’ wages fell 15.1 percent.

Mike Bobnar
Hempfield

(See Op-Ed)

Illinois legislature passes groundbreaking anti-wage theft bill, measure will help economy, taxpayers, workers and businesses

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

NEWS PROVIDED BY HourVoice
07 Jun, 2017, 14:36 ET

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Illinois legislature has passed groundbreaking legislation (SB1720) to address wage theft in Illinois. Wage theft is estimated to cost American workers over $50 billion per year and news reports have shown Illinois is a very difficult and complex state for workers seeking to recoup stolen wages. The legislation prohibits businesses who violate state law on the payment of wages from receiving taxpayer-funded state contracts for at least five years. SB1720 also increases the penalty for disobeying a court order to pay back wages the court finds to have been stolen from an employee.

“In this time of fiscal crisis, we need to make sure that taxpayer-funded state contracts are only going to companies which treat their employees fairly. The vast majority of Illinois businesses, which play by the rules and do right by their employees, deserve a level playing field. Taxpayers deserve more confidence on how their money is spent. I was proud to support this common-sense measure,” said State Rep. Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) who voted for SB1720.

According to HourVoice, wage theft takes many forms, including: shorting workers on their hours, not paying the minimum wage, and not properly paying overtime. It impacts employees in every region of Illinois – at all wage levels and in a wide array of industries.

“Wage theft is estimated to drain $800 million – $3 billion a year from the Illinois economy,” said State Representative Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) who sponsored the measure. “It can also push people below the poverty line and make it harder for working parents to support their children. But when low-income workers get the full pay they have earned, they improve the local and state economy with the dollars they spend.”

(Read More)