Sunday, February 12, 2017
By Mark Bliss ~ Southeast Missourian
Missouri’s prevailing wage law may not prevail much longer.
The Republican-dominated Legislature has set its sights on repealing or revising the state law.
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A pocketbook issue
Rick McGuire, business manager for Laborers Union Local 1140 in Cape Girardeau, said repealing the prevailing-wage law would leave workers with less income.
“We have members who make a living doing prevailing-wage construction work,” he said.
In the construction trades, “you don’t work every day,” he said.
McGuire said labor unions provide skills training for their members and health insurance. A portion of the hourly wages for a union worker goes to fund training, health insurance and a pension, he said.
The prevailing wage benefits union and nonunion workers, as both are paid the same rate on a public-works project, he said.