Look for the Union Label

What do the farm bill, the cap-and-trade global warming bill, the clean water bill, the housing bailout bill, and the school construction bill all have in common? Not much, except that in each one and countless others the Democratic majority in Congress has inserted "prevailing-wage" requirements that amount to a super-minimum wage.

We're speaking of Davis-Bacon, the 1931 law that originally applied to road building and other federal construction projects and set a floor on wages in part to price black and Mexican workers out of the work. Today, its main impact is to require de facto union wages. Many reputable studies have estimated that Davis-Bacon inflates federal construction costs by anywhere from 5% to 39%. A Heritage Foundation analysis of wage data reports that in many cities the mandated Davis-Bacon wage is twice as high as the market wage. In Nassau-Suffolk in New York,

A Heritage Foundation analysis of wage data reports that in many cities the mandated Davis-Bacon wage is twice as high as the market wage.

Hmmmm ... I wonder if they're comparing apples and oranges here. By that I mean; "Benefits". Davis-Bacon mandates the minimum hourly wage paid 'on the check', but benefits are NOT included.

As a Chief-Estimator I ran into this a few times going against non union contractors. They paid the same hourly wage but their benefit cost was lower, so their bid was lower.

I'm a little out of the loop now but back in 2002 a Union Sheetmetal Worker in Chicago cost roughly a dollar a minute ($60.00/hr) for their whole package, but *only* $32.00/hr was on the check. (I may be a few nickels off). So I wonder if this is where they get this 'twice as much'.

And the ironic thing about Gubmint Contracts, Democrats and their Union benefactors - they mandate Davis-Bacon be in the contracts BUT are open to bids by non union Contractors. And on a Federal Gubmint Project there ain't a darn thing the Local Union can do. Even their cohorts, local city Code Inspectors can't get on the job.

I had an experience where two Electrical Contractors had work in the same Gubmint building - one non union - and their work inter connected. THAT was a hoot!!

Not enough has been made of the fact that the thousands of teens looking for work, who swelled that 5.5% unemployment number, will not get jobs because the Democrats raised the minimum wage. Anyone with a brain knew this would happen...just another entry on the “Pelosi-Reid List of Unintended Consequences” as they try to keep the campaign cash from their special interests flowing for the election.

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