Prevailing wage is a middle class booster: Opinion

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

New Jersey is poised to enact meaningful economic development legislation that could bring about a surge in the growth of middle-class jobs, strengthening communities throughout the state. The Senate Budget Committee and sponsors of the Assembly’s bill must be congratulated for adding to the Economic Opportunity Act crucial provisions that create family-sustaining jobs, which both the Senate and Assembly have overwhelmingly approved. The prevailing wage provisions mean that jobs created or saved will provide dignity and economic security – real economic opportunity for New Jersey’s working families.

 

Join us in San Diego, CA for the 15th Annual NAFC Conference

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

NAFC is holding its 15th Annual Conference this year in the beautiful city of San Diego, CA, October 9 – 11, 2013.

The NAFC Conference provides a national forum for those committed to combating noncompliance of state and federal public contracting laws and  draws attendance from contractors, labor unions, fair contracting organizations, attorneys and various officials from local, state and federal governments around the nation.

Sign Up Here

Tennessee OSHA & Workers’ Comp Join Forces to Educate Employers on New Reform Bill

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development announces a series of seminars across the state explaining the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act of 2013. The Workers’ Compensation division and TOSHA will team up with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce to deliver these seminars to educate and inform employers about the impact of the bill, including ways to avoid workplace injuries and to better handle them if they occur.

 

The information shared will be valuable to business owners, managers, HR professionals, and anyone involved in the administration of workers’ compensation claims.

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Prevailing Wages Will Lift San Diego Economy

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

This is a historic moment for public works in the city of San Diego. After decades of neglect, the city is intending to rebuild our streets, sidewalks, storm-drains, libraries and parks, and replace an aging water-wastewater system. In the coming fiscal year, the city is proposing over $330 million in capital improvement projects.

The city will be requiring the application of state prevailing wages to all public works contracts. This is intended to multiply the benefits of the taxpayer investment within the local community. After five decades of virtually exempting itself from prevailing wages, this reversal is the hallmark of new leadership in City Hall that wants to create good jobs, and generate long-term value in the spending of our construction dollars.

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Defender of the Prevailing Wage Act speaks up

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

It has become accepted among several elected and politically appointed officials to spout how much better we would be without unions to hold us back. Recently, in Pennsylvania, there was a movement attempting to pass a resolution that would allow school districts and municipalities to exempt themselves from the Prevailing Wage Act of Aug. 15, 1961. The original Act was instituted to protect local wages and standards that were negotiated for the benefit of the territory that they covered. This Act standardized wages and benefits on public work projects, so out-of-state contractors could not, unfairly, underbid local contractors that support local worker

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Oregon Senate Okays Bill Requiring Prevailing Wage

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

The Senate passed a bill Tuesday that will require contractors who do business with the Oregon University System to follow prevailing wage laws. House Bill 2646 received a 27-2 vote and will head to the House for approval. Oregon is one of 32 states to have a state-level prevailing wage, which is required on all state and local building projects. House Bill 2646 adds universities projects to the list.

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Stalemate at Metropolitan Sewer District – Ohio

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

At $3.2 billion and an estimated 15- to 20-year time frame for completion, Cincinnati’s project to retrofit and replace its sewers is one of the most expansive in the city’s history. But the sewer project, which is part of a mandate from the federal government, is now facing major hurdles as the city and county dispute how contracts for the project should be awarded and whether the government should be more involved in dictating how contractors train their employees.

Most recently, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners put an unprecedented funding hold on all sewer projects until Cincinnati changes its “responsible bidder” law, which City Council unanimously passed in June 2012 and modified in May this year.

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Rep. Matt A. Szollosi Resigns as Assistant Minority Leader of the Ohio House of Rep.

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Former Speaker Pro Tem Takes Helm at ACT Ohio

May 31, 2013 (Columbus, Ohio)

Today, Rep. Matthew A. Szollosi officially resigned his seat in the Ohio House of Representatives to become the Executive Director of the Affiliated Construction Trades, or ACT Ohio. Szollosi, 39, also recently left the law the Law Offices of D’Angelo, Szollosi & Hughes Co., L.P.A. for the full-time post.

According to Szollosi, “ACT Ohio is a 501(c)(5) organization created to advance quality economic and industrial development opportunities, and to promote industry best practices for Ohio’s public and private construction projects.”

Szollosi, who has specialized in construction law for close to 15 years, believes many of Ohio’s business and elected leaders are unaware of the industry’s investment in 501(c)(5) and its unwavering commitment to safety. “My job is to change that. There’s simply no question that contractors with a highly skilled and properly trained workforce will yield the best, most cost-effective results for the customer, which is our goal.”

ACT Ohio will also seek enforcement of state and federal construction laws designed and implemented to prevent the undercutting of area standards for wages and benefits on taxpayer funded projects, said Szollosi.

“I look forward to working closely with my friends and colleagues in Ohio and through our network of professionals with the National Alliance for Fair Contracting as well.”

Learn More About ACT Ohio

 

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Workers’ Pay Should Not Fund ABC Sham Labor Compliance Committee’s

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Anti-union contractors deduct earnings from workers’ paychecks. They use the money to fund committees that falsely claim to be about labor compliance, but actually exist solely to further the anti-union contractors’ political interests. Then they claim that expense as a fringe benefit to the worker, which they use to reduce the amount they are legally required to pay the worker under California’s prevailing wage law.

Unfortunately, a loophole in current law allows that deceptive and unfair scenario to happen. And the Associated Builders and Contractors (“ABC”) and their friends are all too happy to exploit it.

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