Politics

In Next Strike Against Unions, GOP States Go After Wage Laws

Published

11 years ago

June 16, 2015

In this June 9, 2015, photo, construction crews work on the site of the new Detroit Red Wings arena in Detroit. Expanding the Republican Partys battle with organized labor, several GOP-dominated legislatures in the Midwest are moving to scrap labor laws that help unions win contracts on public works projects, an important source of construction jobs. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DAVID EGGERT, Associated Press

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Expanding their battle with organized labor, Republican lawmakers in the Midwest are moving to scrap labor laws that help unions win a healthy share of the jobs on public works projects and bolster trade union membership.

Conservative legislators are targeting “prevailing wage” statutes, now on the books in 31 states, that require paying the local wage and benefit rate — usually union scale — on government construction projects such as building schools, fire stations and local roads.

They say the wage laws inflate costs and make it harder for nonunion contractors to compete by making lower bids.

The Indiana Legislature repealed the state’s 80-year-old prevailing wage law last month, becoming the first legislature to do so in 27 years. Similar proposals are now before lawmakers in Michigan and Wisconsin. Those three GOP-led states dealt a financial blow to labor in recent years by passing right-to-work laws that bar unions from collecting fees from non-members.

“There’s a national agenda coming after the building trades unions,” said Patrick “Shorty” Gleason, legislative director for the nearly 100,000-member Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council union. “They do it under a false pretense that they’re going to save hundreds of millions of dollars for the taxpayers. It’s a race to the bottom that’s going to end up nowhere.”

Government construction projects are estimated at $281 billion, or 28 percent, of all construction spending nationwide this year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While no breakdown of winning contractors is available, industry groups say that union contractors tend to win a higher percentage of large government infrastructure projects covered by the wage laws while nonunion contractors go after private jobs.

Having to track all the local union wage rates for public contracts makes many contractors “wash their hands” of making bids, said Chris Fisher, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan.

Many states passed prevailing wage laws around the Depression to prevent out-of-state companies from underbidding local employers on public jobs. The federal government has a similar wage law that covers federal projects.

As the GOP won control of more state capitols in recent years, conservative and pro-business groups, including Americans for Prosperity, began pushing to repeal the state laws. Repeal supporters spent $357,000 on TV ads in Indiana and are likely to air some in Michigan, too.

While conservative lawmakers are enthusiastic, some governors have been skeptical.

Michigan’s Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has complained that repealing the state’s law would hamper his effort to bolster blue-collar jobs.

“Our great skilled tradespeople quite often get into unions … and I think it’s best to be working in a collaborative, cooperative fashion with them,” Snyder said.

But Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, who has made repeal legislation a priority, estimates that labor costs are between 40 and 60 percent higher on prevailing wage projects. Union construction workers average $28 an hour, $10 more than nonunion members, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“A less expensive price tag for construction means our communities are financing less, will be financing less, saving taxpayers money over the life of the entire asset,” said Meekhof, who was a sponsor of Michigan’s right-to-work law that passed in 2012. Repeal supporters hope to end the wage law through a petition drive if Snyder will not sign the legislation.

National studies on the impact of prevailing wage laws on project costs have drawn mixed conclusions because of the number of factors included.

In Wisconsin, Republicans are grappling with the prevailing wage statute as part of budget negotiations. Gov. Scott Walker has pledged to sign repeal legislation. West Virginia and Nevada have scaled back their laws.

Defenders of prevailing wage laws, including some Republicans, say they prevent governments from awarding contracts solely based on which bidders pay their workers less.

“It will encourage out-of-state companies to come in, underbid, steal business from Michigan contractors and steal jobs from Michigan workers,” said Sen. David Knezek, a Democrat. The state now has several major projects underway, including a Capitol dome restoration and construction of a new hockey arena for the Detroit Red Wings.

Organized labor, battling membership declines, is struggling to bolster trade unions that represent its third-largest non-government membership category, behind manufacturing and health care workers. About one-fifth of Michigan’s construction workforce is unionized.

Some workers worry that more cost cutting on public jobs will squeeze the training programs and other benefits union contractors now offer.

John DeLine, 35, an Army veteran who lives in the Hudson community southwest of Detroit, credits Michigan’s law for his training as a carpenter apprentice and worries about having to get a second job if his wages drop.

“What kind of life is that?” he said, after serving three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan away from his family.

___

Follow David Eggert at http://twitter.com/DavidEggert00

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

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2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Lori Wilson — Advocate for Equity, the Environment, and More

Her rise has also included several historic firsts: she is the only Black woman ever appointed to lead the influential Assembly Transportation Committee, and the first freshman legislator elected Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. She has also been a vocal advocate for vulnerable communities, becoming the first California legislator to publicly discuss being the parent of a transgender child — an act of visibility that has helped advanced representation at a time when political tensions related to social issues and culture have intensified.

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Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City). File photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) joined the California Legislature in 2022 after making history as Solano County’s first Black female mayor, bringing with her a track record of fiscal discipline, community investment, and inclusive leadership.

She represents the state’s 11th Assembly District, which spans Solano County and portions of Contra Costa and Sacramento Counties.

California Black Media spoke with Wilson about her successes and disappointments this year and her outlook for 2026.

What stands out as your most important achievement this year?

Getting SB 237 passed in the Assembly. I had the opportunity to co-lead a diverse workgroup of colleagues, spanning a wide range of ideological perspectives on environmental issues.

How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians this year?

The Black Caucus concentrated on the Road to Repair package and prioritized passing a crucial bill that remained incomplete during my time as chair, which establishes a process for identifying descendants of enslaved people for benefit eligibility.

What frustrated you the most this year?

The lack of progress made on getting Prop 4 funds allocated to socially disadvantaged farmers. This delay has real consequences. These farmers have been waiting for essential support that was promised. Watching the process stall, despite the clear need and clear intent of the voters, has been deeply frustrating and reinforces how much work remains to make our systems more responsive and equitable.

What inspired you the most this year?

The resilience of Californians persists despite the unprecedented attacks from the federal government. Watching people stay engaged, hopeful, and determined reminded me why this work matters and why we must continue to protect the rights of every community in our state.

What is one lesson you learned this year that will inform your decision-making next year?

As a legislator, I have the authority to demand answers to my questions — and accept nothing less. That clarity has strengthened my approach to oversight and accountability.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians are facing currently?

Affordability and access to quality educational opportunities.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2026?

Advance my legislative agenda despite a complex budget environment. The needs across our communities are real, and even in a tight fiscal year, I’m committed to moving forward policies that strengthen safety, expand opportunity, and improve quality of life for the people I represent.

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2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Champion of Reparations, Housing and Workers’ Rights

In 2025, McKinnor pushed forward legislation on renters’ protections, re-entry programs, reparations legislation, and efforts to support Inglewood Unified School District. She spoke with California Black Media about the past year and her work. Here are her responses.

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Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood). File photo.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) represents

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As a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC),

McKinnor was elected in 2022. She chairs the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation and leads the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee. McKinnor also served as a civic engagement director, managed political campaigns, and worked as chief of staff for former Assemblymembers Steven Bradford and Autumn Burke.

Looking back on 2025, what do you see as your biggest win?

Assembly Bill (AB) 628. If rent is $3,000, people should at least have a stove and a refrigerator. It’s ridiculous that people were renting without basic appliances.

I’m also proud that I was able to secure $8.4 million in the state budget for people coming home from incarceration. That includes the Homecoming Project, the menopause program for incarcerated women, and the Justice Leaders Program.

How did your leadership help make life better for Black Californians this year?

After the Eaton Fire, I pushed to get the same kind of support for affected areas that wealthier regions get after disasters.

I also did a lot of work building political power— establishing the Black Legacy PAC and California for All of Us PAC so we could support Black candidates and educate voters. We also called voters to make sure they understood Prop 50.

People need to understand this: there are only 12 Black legislators in the Capitol. Folks act like we can just walk in and pass reparations, but that’s not how it works.

What frustrated you most this year?

The governor did not have the political will to sign these bills: AB 57 and AB 62. They both passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly and the Senate. We did the work. The only person who didn’t have the political will to sign them was the governor.

The public needs to ask the governor why he didn’t sign the bills. We can’t keep letting people off the hook. He has to answer.

I also introduced AB 51 — the bill to eliminate interest payments on Inglewood Unified School District’s long-standing state loan — held in the Appropriations Committee. That was frustrating,

What inspired you most in 2025?

The civil rights trip to Alabama was life changing. We visited the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. We took members of the Black, Latino, Jewish, and API caucuses with us. It changed all of us.

People aren’t always against us — they just don’t know our history.

What’s one lesson from 2025 that will shape how you approach decisions next year?

The legislative trip to Norway taught me that collaboration matters. Government, labor, and industry sit down together there. They don’t make villains. Everybody doesn’t get everything they want, but they solve problems.

What’s the biggest challenge facing Black Californians in one word?

Inequity. It shows up in housing, wealth, stress – all these things.

What’s the number one goal you want to accomplish in 2026?

Bringing back AB 57 and AB 62, and securing money for the Inglewood Unified loan interest forgiveness.