Studies & Reports - National Alliance for Fair Contracting

Kevin Duncan,Ph.D., Peter Philips, Ph.D., and Frank Manzo IV; Colorado State University-Pueblo, University of Utah, and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (April 2017)

The Value of Linking Good Construction Jobs to California’s Housing Reforms

Alex Lantsberg, MCP, AICP (March 2017)

Prevailing Wage Laws: What Do we Know?

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Russell Orminston, Ph.D. (March 2017)

The Economic, Fiscal, and Social Effects of Kentucky’s Prevailing Wage Law

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Kevin Duncan, Ph.D. (Dec. 2016)

The Impact of Apprenticeship Programs in Illinois: An Analysis of Economic and Social Effects

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Robert Bruno, Ph.D. (Aug. 2016)

The Release of Davis-Bacon Certified Payroll Records, Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, and the Question of Competitive Harm to Contractors

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Jeffrey Waddoups, Ph.D. (June 2016)

Weakening Prevailing Wage Hurts Local Contractors and Workers: Case Study from Southern Indiana

Frank Manzo IV, MPP (June 2016)

The Impact of Prevailing Wage Laws on Military Veterans: An Economic and Labor Market Analysis

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Robert Bruno, Ph.D., Kevin Duncan, Ph.D. (May 2016)

An Analysis of the Impact of Prevailing Wage Thresholds on Public Construction: Implications for Illinois

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Robert Bruno, Ph.D. (April 2016)

The Adverse Economic Impact from Repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law in Missouri

Michael P. Kelsay, Ph.D. (April 2016)

The Economic, Fiscal, and Social Impacts of State Prevailing Wage Laws: Choosing Between the High Road and the Low Road in the Construction Industry

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Alex Lantsberg, MCP, AICP (Feb. 2016)

Towards the High Road in the New Hampshire Construction Industry: The Impact of a State Prevailing Wage Law

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Stephen Herzenberg, Ph.D., Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Alex Lantsberg, MCP, AICP (Jan. 2016)

The Cost of Repealing Michigan’s Prevailing Wage Policy: Impacts on Total Construction Costs and Economic Activity

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Alex Lantsberg, MCP, AICP (June 2015)

How Weakening Wisconsin’s Prevailing Wage Policy Would Affect Public Construction Costs and Economic Activity

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Alex Lantsberg, MCP, AICP (May 2015)

Wisconsin’s Prevailing Wage Law: An Economic Impact Analysis

Peter Philips, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Apr. 2015)

Building the Golden State: The Economic Impacts of California’s Prevailing Wage Policy

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D., Alex Lantsberg, MCP, AICP (March 2015)

West Virginia’s Prevailing Wage: Good for Business, Good for Workers

Sean O’Leary, West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy (Jan. 2015)

The Adverse Economic Impact from Repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law in West Virginia

Michael Kelsay, Ph.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City, Department of Economics (Jan. 2015)

Prevailing Wage Laws, Contractor Profits, and the Economic Pie

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Illinois Economic Policy Institute (Jan. 2015)

The Effect of Federal Davis-Bacon and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Regulations on Highway Maintenance Costs

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D. (Jan. 2015)

The Social and Economic Impacts of Wage Violations: Estimates for California and New York

Prepared by Eastern Research Group, Inc. for US Department of Labor (Dec. 2014)

Self-Sufficient Construction Workers: Why Prevailing Wage Laws are the Best Deal for Taxpayers

Frank Manzo IV, MPP and LeNee Carroll, MSW, Midwest Economic Policy Institute (Aug. 2014)

Building A Strong McHenry: How Prevailing Wage Works

Frank Manzo IV, MPP (Aug. 2014)

Common Sense Construction: The Economic Impacts of Indiana’s Common Construction Wage | Common Sense Construction Report Summary

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Robert Bruno, Ph.D., Scott Littlehale (June 2014)

Do Responsible Contractor Policies Increase Construction Bid Costs?

C. Jeffrey Waddoups, Ph.D. and David C. May, MS. (May 2014)

Expanding Opportunity For Middle Class Jobs in New York City: Minority Youth Employment in the Building and Construction Trades

Ester R. Fuchs, Dorian Warren, Kimberly Bayer, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (March 2014)

Kentucky’s Prevailing Wage Law: An Economic Impact Analysis

Peter Philips, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Jan. 2014)

Which Labor Market Institutions Reduce Income Inequality? Labor Unions, Prevailing Wage Laws, and Right-to-Work Laws in the Construction Industry | (Policy Brief)

Frank Manzo IV, MPP and Robert Bruno, Ph.D. (Jan. 2014)

A Weakened State: The Economic and Social Impacts of Repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law in Illinois | (Policy Brief)

Alison Dickson Quesada, Frank Manzo IV, Dale Belman, Ph.D., and Robert Bruno, Ph.D. (Oct. 2013)

Taking the Low Road: How the Federal Government Promotes Poverty-Wage Jobs Through its Contracting Practices

Anastasia Christman, Ph.D., Amy Masciola, Ph.D. Robert Masciola, Shelley Sperry, Ph.D. and Paul Sonn (July 2013)

The Effect of Prevailing Wage Regulations on Contractor Bid Participation and Behavior: A Comparison of Palo Alto, California with Four Nearby Prevailing Wage Municipalities

Peter Philips, Ph.D., Jaewhan Kim, Chang Kuo-Liang (Sept. 2012)

Wage Theft in Iowa

Colin Gordon, Matthew Glasson, Jenifer Sherer & Robin Clark-Bennett (Aug. 2012)

The Benefits of State Prevailing Wage Laws; Better Jobs and More Productive Competition in the Construction Industry

Keystone Research Center (Oct. 2011)

The Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in the Construction Sector in the Commonwealth of Kentucky

Michael Kelsay, Ph.D., James Sturgeon, Ph.D. (Sept. 2011)

An Analysis of Davis-Bacon Prevailing Wage Requirements: Evidence from Highway Resurfacing Projects in Colorado

Kevin Duncan, Ph.D. (June 2011)

Economic, Fiscal and Social Impacts of Prevailing Wage in San Jose, California

Working Partnerships USA (April 2011)

The Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in the State of Indiana

Michael Kelsay, Ph.D., James Sturgeon, Ph.D. (Sept. 2010)

Building Better: A Look at Best Practices for the Design of Project Labor Agreements

Dale Belman, Ph.D. and Matthew M. Bodah, Ph.D. (Aug. 2010)

Improving Workplace Conditions Through Strategic Enforcement: A Report to the Wage and Hour Division

David Weil, Principal Investigator- Boston University (May 2010)

Project Labor Agreements’ Effect on School Construction Costs in Massachusetts

Dale Belman, Ph.D., Russell Ormiston, Ph.D., Richard Kelso, William Schriver and Kenneth A. Frank, Ph.D. (Jan. 2010)

Project Labor Agreements in New York State- In the Public Interest

Fred B. Kotler, J.D., Cornell University ILR School (March 2009)

Making Contracting Work for the United States – Government Spending Must Lead to Good Jobs

David Madland, Ph.D. and Michael Paarlberg, Ph.D. (Dec. 2008)

Enforcing Change – Five Strategies for the Obama Administration to Enforce Worker’s Rights at the Department of Labor

David Madland, Ph.D. and Karla Walter, M.S. (Dec. 2008)

Prevailing Wages and Government Contracting Costs

Economic Policy Institute (July 2008)

The Effect of Prevailing Wage Regulation on the Construction Industry in Iowa

Peter Philips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (March 2008)

The Underground Economy in the New York City Affordable Housing Construction Industry

Fiscal Policy Institute Report (Apr. 2007)

New York State Workers’ Compensation: How Big Is the Coverage Shortfall?

Fiscal Policy Institute Report (Jan. 2007)

The Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in the State of Illinois

Michael P. Kelsay, Ph.D., James Sturgeon, Ph.D., Kelly Pinkham, MS. (Dec. 2006)

An Evaluation of Prevailing Wage in Minnesota Implementation, Comparability and Outcomes

Lisa M. Jordan, Ph.D. Lead Researcher: Additional Contributors: Robert Bruno, Ph.D., Phil Schrader, Tony Sindone, Ph.D. (Oct. 2006)

The Economic Development Benefits of Prevailing Wage

Fiscal Policy Institute (May 2006)

Low Road Detour: How Repealing Prevailing Wage Will Hurt Kentucky

Peter Phillips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Jan. 2006)

Lessons for post-Katrina reconstruction – A high-road vs. low-road recovery

Peter Phillips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Oct. 2005)

Prevailing Wage Laws and Minority Employment in Construction; A Historical and Empirical Analysis

Dale Belman, Ph.D. and Peter Phillips, Ph.D. (2005)

Health Care Subsidies: Does the Public Sector Subsidize Low Wage Contractor

C. Jeffrey Waddoups, Ph.D. (2004)

Wages, Productivity and Highway Construction Costs

Construction Labor Research Council (Mar. 2004)

The Adverse Economic Impact from Repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law in Missouri

Michael P. Kelsay. Ph.D., L. Randall Wray, Ph. D., and Kelly Pinkham, M.S. (Jan. 2004)

The High Road to a Competitive Economy: A Labor Law Strategy

Harley Shaiken (Jan. 2004)

State Prevailing Wage Laws and School Construction Costs

Hamid Azari-Rad, Ph.D., Peter Philips, Ph.D. and Mark J. Prus, Ph.D., Industrial Relations, Vol. 42, Issue 3 (July 2003)

Analysis of Regression and Surveys in Ohio LSC Report on S.B. 102 on Claimed Cost Savings from Exempting School Construction from Prevailing Wage Requirements

Herbert Weisberg, Ph.D. (July 2002)

Making Hay When It Rains: The Effect Prevailing Wage Regulations, Scale Economies, Seasonal, Cyclical And Local Business Patterns Have On School Construction Costs

Hamid Azari-Rad, Ph.D., Peter Philips, Ph.D., and Mark J. Prus, Ph.D., Journal of Education Finance 27, pp. 997-1012 (Spring 2002)

Report on the Prevailing Wage Law of Nevada: Its History, Cost and Effects

Peter Philips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (May 2001)

Four Biases and a Funeral

Peter Philips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Feb. 2001)

Thoughtless Think Tanks

Peter Philips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Feb. 2001)

A Comparison of Public School Construction Costs In Three Midwestern States that Have Changed Their Prevailing Wage Laws in the 1990’s

Peter Philips, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Utah (Feb. 2001)

The Repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law in Idaho: Economic Myths and Realities

Michael DiNoto and Steven Petersen, University of Idaho, Center for Business Development and Research (2000)

Oregon’s Prevailing Wage Law: Benefiting The Public, The Worker, And The Employer

Michael Sheehan, Ph.D., Oregon & Southwest Washington Fair Contracting Foundation (2000)

Prevailing Wage Regulations and School Construction Costs: Evidence From British Columbia

Cihan Bilginsoy, Ph.D. and Peter Philips, Ph.D., Journal of Education Finance 24 (Winter 2000)

Health Care and Pension Benefits for Construction Workers: The Role of Prevailing Wage Laws

Jeffrey Petersen, Ph.D., Industrial Relations 39 (Apr. 2000)

Prevailing Wage & Fair Contracting Studies & Reports (1993 – 1999)

Kentucky’s Prevailing Wage Law: Its History, Purpose and Effect

Peter Philips, Ph.D., University of Utah (Nov. 1999)

Labor Market Regulation and the Winner’s Curse

Cihan Bilginsoy, Ph.D. (July 1999)

Do Lower Prevailing Wages Reduce Public Construction Costs?

Howard Wial, Ph.D., Keystone Research Center (July 1999)

Attacking Prevailing Wages

Peter Cockshaw, Construction Labor News and Opinion, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Mar. 1999)

A Summary and Critique of Oregon Boli’s

Michael F. Sheehan, Ph.D., Oregon (Jan. 1999)

Prevailing Wage Laws and School Construction Costs, an Analysis of Public School Construction in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic States

Mark J. Prus, Ph.D., Economics Department, State University of New York (Jan. 1999)

Delaware’s Prevailing Wage Law

Peter Philips, Ph.D., University of Utah (May 1998)

Davis-Bacon Works, Prevailing Wage Laws are Good for America

Professor Dale Belman, Ph.D., Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Professor Peter Phillips, Ph.D., Economics Department, University of Utah (Feb. 1998)

Kansas and Prevailing Wage Legislation

Peter Philips, Ph.D., University of Utah (Feb. 1998)

Prevailing Wage Laws, Unions and Minority Employment in Construction: A Historical and Empirical Analysis

Professor Dale Belman, Ph.D., Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Professor Peter Phillips, Ph.D., Economics Department, University of Utah (Feb. 1998)

Report on Brazier Construction Co vs Reich

Peter Philips, Ph.D., University of Utah (Feb. 1996)

Square Foot Construction Costs for Newly Constructed State and Local Schools, Offices and Warehouses in Nine Southwestern and Intermountain States

Peter Philips, Ph.D., University of Utah (Sep. 1996)

Prevailing Wage Laws and the California Economy

Michael Reich, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (Feb. 1996)

The Effect of State Prevailing Wage Laws on Total Construction Costs

Mark J. Prus, Ph.D., State University of New York, Cortland, N.Y. (Jan. 1996)

HUD Audit Report

Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, cited at p.5 in Prevailing Wage Laws in Construction: The Costs of Repeal to Wisconsin, Dale Belman, Ph.D., and Paula Voos, Ph.D., The Institute for Wisconsin’s Future, University of Wisconsin, (Jan. 1996)

Congressional Black Caucus – Statement in Support of Davis-Bacon

Congressional Black Caucus (Dec. 1995)

The Davis Bacon: Act A Response to CATO Institute Attack

AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department (1995)

Prevailing Wage Laws in Construction: The Costs of Repeal to Wisconsin

Dale Belman, Ph.D., and Paula B. Voos, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (Oct. 1995)

The Davis Bacon Act: A Closer Look

Anthony P. Carnevale, Ph.D., National Commission of Employment Policy, Statement presented to the United States Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee (Feb. 1995)

Prevailing Wage Laws

Mechanical Electrical Sheet Metal Alliance (Feb. 1995)

Losing Ground: Lessons from the Repeal of Nine Little Davis-Bacon Acts

Garth Mangum, Ph.D., Peter Philips, Ph.D., Norm Waitzman, Ph.D., and Anne Yeagle, Ph.D., University of Utah. (Feb. 1995)

Rebuttal to Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimates of Davis-Bacon Repeal

Steven Allen, Ph.D. (May 1993)

The Effects of the Repeal of Utah’s Prevailing Wage Law on the Construction Labor Market and Apprenticeship Training

Hamid Azari-Rad, Ph.D., Anne Yeagle. Ph.D., and Peter Philips, Ph.D. (Nov. 1993)

Apprenticeship Studies & Reports

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives in the Construction Trades

Cihan Bilginsoy Ph.D., Amy Tracy Wells, Ph.D., Roland Zullo, Ph.D., David Bullock (Jan. 2023)

Are Plumbing Apprentice Graduates Safer than their Non-Apprentice Peers? Workers’ Compensation Claims Among Journey Level Plumbers by Apprenticeship Participation

Sara Wuellner, David Bonauto (Sept. 2022)

Apprenticeship Training in Iowa: Enrollment, Completion Rates, and Earnings of Registered Apprentices in Iowa

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Jill Gagstad, (Sept. 2021)

Union Apprenticeships: The Bachelor’s Degrees of the Construction Industry – Data for the United States, 2010-2020

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Erik Thorson (Sept. 2021)

Training the Golden State: An Analysis of California Apprenticeship Programs

Dan Calamuci, Smart Cities Prevail (Dec. 2020)

The Apprenticeship Alternative: Enrollment, Completion Rates, and Earnings in Registered Apprenticeship Programs in Illinois

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Robert Bruno, Ph.D. (Jan. 2020)

The Impact of Construction Apprenticeship Programs in Minnesota: A Return-on-Investment Analysis

Midwest Economic Policy Institute (Sept. 2019)

The Impact of Apprenticeship Programs in Illinois: An Analysis of Economic and Social Effects

Frank Manzo IV, MPP, Robert Bruno, Ph.D. (Aug. 2016)

An Analysis of Apprentices in the US Construction Trades: An Overview of their Training and Development with Recommendations for Policy Makers

Jeffrey Woods, (June 2012)

Building Trades Apprentice Training in Massachusetts: An Analysis of Union and Non-Union Programs, 1997 – 2007

Labor Resource Center, University of Massachusetts Boston (Oct. 2008)

Analysis of Construction Industry Apprenticeship Programs in Indiana

Jeff Vincent, Ph.D., Indiana University Institute for the Study of Labor in Society (Apr. 2004)

Building Trades Apprentice Training in West Virginia: A Comparison of Union and Non-Union Building Trades Programs in the 1990s

West Virginia University Extension Service, Institute for Labor Studies and Research (May 2002)

Construction Apprenticeship And Training In Pennsylvania

David H. Bradley, Ph.D., and Stephen A. Herzenberg, Ph.D., Keystone Research Center (2002)

Registered Apprenticeship Training In The U.S. Construction Industry

Cihan Bilginsoy, Ph.D., University of Utah (Sept. 1998)

Apprentice Training in Kentucky: A Comparison of Union and Non-Union Programs in the Building Trades

William. J. Londrigan and Joseph B. Wise, Kentucky AFL-CIO (Mar. 1997)

Apprenticeship Utilization in Washington State Programs in the Building and Construction Trades

Washington State Construction and Building Trades Council, AFL-CIO

Health & Safety Studies & Reports

Numerous studies and surveys on safety and health issues in the workplace have found that workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities are lower in workplaces where fair and responsible contracting practices are followed. Additionally, both financial management performance indicators and accident rates are better in fair workplaces. Many studies show higher productivity and profitability among responsible contractors in fair and equitable bidding process:

The Impact of Unions on Construction Worksite Health and Safety: Evidence from OSHA Inspections

Frank Manzo, MPP, Michael Jekot, Robert Bruno, Ph.D., ILEPI (2021)

The Gap Between Tools and Best Practice: An Analysis of Safety Prequalification Surveys in the Construction Industry

Kang-Hung Liu, Jamie Tessler, Lauren A. Murphy, Chien-Chi Chang, and Jack T. Dennerlein, Northeastern University (2018)

Union Effect on Safety Management and Safety Culture in the Construction Industry

Xuanwen Wang, PhD, Rebecca Katz, MPH, Xiuwen Sue Dong, DrPH, CPWR Quarterly (2018)

Development and Evaluation of Metrics for Contractor Pre-Qualifications

Jack Dennerlein, Northeastern University, CPWR Quarterly (2017)

Federal Contract Workers Need the Protection of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Rule

Celine McNicholas, Economic Policy Institute (2017)

Does ‘Right to Work’ Imperil the Right to Health? The Effect of Labour Unions on Workplace Fatalities

Michael Zoorob, Harvard University (2017)