Letter: Prevailing wage stabilizes labor market (MI)

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

DetroitNews
Published 10:57 p.m. ET Jan. 3, 2018

Michigan is experiencing a skilled-worker crisis. Our state’s construction industry is booming and contractors are struggling to find the workers needed to participate on public projects. From a business perspective, the prevailing wage is a proven tool to retain qualified workers on Michigan’s public projects and entice new recruits into the trades (Re: The Detroit News’ editorial, “Let’s move past prevailing wage,” Dec. 14).

Contractors know Michigan’s prevailing wage laws help stabilize the labor market on publicly funded projects so we can find the workers needed to finish projects and make the best use of taxpayer dollars. I want Michiganders and policymakers to understand there could not be a worse time to repeal Michigan’s prevailing wage law.

I was there when we suspended the prevailing wage laws in the ’90s, and I saw how it devastated our skilled workforce for publicly funded projects. Facing reduced hourly rates, our workforce became transient. Decades of loyalty was supplanted by a revolving workforce forced to focus on finding the best pay. The best workers were lured away by increases in hourly wages, making it harder to complete the schools our children attend, the roads we drive on and other infrastructure projects on time or on-budget.

Repealing Michigan’s prevailing wage laws did not save money or benefit public clients 20 years ago and it will not help them now. Today, we are experiencing the same market trends. All contractors, including Barton Malow, have turned down work due to a lack of available workers. With billions more in publicly-funded jobs coming online this spring, Michigan can’t afford to gamble like we did in the ’90s with our skilled workforce.

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SC contractors indicted in $350M DBE fraud case

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

By Kim Slowey | August 8, 2016

Dive Brief:

  • South Carolina federal prosecutors have indicted a group of seven construction executives and associates for allegedly setting up and operating a network of sham disadvantaged and minority businesses in order to win approximately $350 million in government contracts in and out of the state since 2002, according to The State.
  • In addition to creating their own shell companies, authorities alleged that the group also enlisted existing companies owned by women, minorities, veterans and disabled veterans to assist in perpetrating their fraud.
  • If convicted, the individuals and two companies – financing firm Automatic Cash and construction consultant EEC – face sentences ranging from five to 20 years in prison, as well as fines of $250,000 to $10 million.

 

Dive Insight:

Most publicly funded projects, particularly high-dollar ones, include some level of minority participation requirements, and because many owners and general contractors maintain there is a shortage of qualified minority contractors, some firms see this as an opportunity to gain entry into a potentially lucrative niche, even if they’re not legally entitled.

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