Prevailing Wage
WV-Ohio prevailing wage law, protects and preserves local area wages on federal and state construction projects. It guarantees that workers are paid fairly.
The Davis-Bacon Act allows union and non-union contractors to compete for federal construction jobs on equal footing. The U.S. Department of Labor law states “…contractors or their sub-contractors are to pay workers employed directly upon the site of the work no less then the local prevailing wages and fringe benefits paid on projects of a similar character.”
The Davis-Bacon Act and the prevailing wage laws in the state of Ohio affects not only building and construction contractors, but average citizens as well. Study after study clearly shows that in those states that have repealed or are considering repealing Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws has resulted in serious and long-term negative economic consequences.
Project Labor Agreements
A Project Labor Agreement (PLA) also known as a Community Workforce Agreement, is a prehire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project.
Before any workers are hired on the project, construction unions and contractors have bargaining rights to determine the wage rates and benefits of all employees working on the particular project and to agree to prevent any strikes, lockouts, or other work stoppages for the length of the project and that the contractor follow union rules on pensions, work conditions and dispute resolution. Many PLA’s also require that employees hired for the project are referred by the union hiring halls, though most of these allow for alternate hiring mechanisms, including retention of a contractor’s “core” or key employees.
PLA’s are used on both public and private projects and their specific provisions are tailored by the signatory parties to meet the needs of a particular project. PLA’s typically require that the contractor hire all workers through union halls, that nonunion workers pay dues for the length of the project and also require that employees hired for the project are referred by the union hiring halls, though most of these allow for alternate hiring mechanisms, including retention of a contractor’s “core” or key employees.
On February 6, 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order encouraging the use of the Labor Agreements on Fedeal projects of $25 million or more. According to the order, Project Labor Agreements promote efficient and timely completion of large-scale construction projects and prevent many of the problems inherent in such construction.
Who has used PLA’s in our Council District?
- Switzerland of Ohio School District
- Wheeling Hospital
- OVMC Hospital
- Wheeling Park High School
- Wheeling Downs
Endorsements
As a Building and Construction Trades Council, we need to support those elected officials that support us. Whether Republican or Democrat, we need to continue to elect officials that will support Prevailing Wage, Project Labor Agreements and other issues that continue the efforts to rebuild the middle class in our District. But this is not limited to only supproting individuals, we had great success working with the communities located in the Switzerland of Ohio School District to pass a School Bond Issue that put hundreds of our members to work. Look below to who/what we as the UOVBTC are supporting this coming election:
