McCaskill Opposes Easing Prevailing Wage Rules in Joplin
By: Missouri News Horizons
Updated: June 21, 2012
(Joplin, MO)--Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) thinks Joplin should be rebuilt by workers earning the area's average wage for workers with the same skills.
Some leaders in the area have called for so-called prevailing wage standards to be relaxed to help hold downs costs of the rebuilding effort in the tornado damaged area.
McCaskill says it's important to attract highly qualified workers to Joplin.
"Prevailing wage makes sure that you can train quality workers. And particularly when you're building public infrastructure, I think that's incredibly important."
She says the city should not be able to hire workers at less than the area's prevailing wage rate.
"I mean, one of the problems you have in states where you don't have prevailing wage, is you wind up having people come in, and just because it's the lowest bid, they get a project, and then the work is not done of the highest quality."
McCaskill thinks bringing well-paying construction jobs into the area could help Joplin's economy recover.
Some leaders in the area have called for so-called prevailing wage standards to be relaxed to help hold downs costs of the rebuilding effort in the tornado damaged area.
McCaskill says it's important to attract highly qualified workers to Joplin.
"Prevailing wage makes sure that you can train quality workers. And particularly when you're building public infrastructure, I think that's incredibly important."
She says the city should not be able to hire workers at less than the area's prevailing wage rate.
"I mean, one of the problems you have in states where you don't have prevailing wage, is you wind up having people come in, and just because it's the lowest bid, they get a project, and then the work is not done of the highest quality."
McCaskill thinks bringing well-paying construction jobs into the area could help Joplin's economy recover.
Comments
If the so-called "prevailing wage" was really the average wage there wouldn't be a problem. The problem is that the government cooks the books to make the union wage the prevailing wage. For example, the federal Davis-Bacon prevailing wage for a carpenter in Jasper County is $21.47 an hour but data from the current population survey, a much more accurate source, says that the average wage is for a carpenter in Jasper County is $16.01 an hour. This sort of nonsense makes construction more expensive than it ought to be just to curry favor with the unions.
David D.
June 21, 2012 at 12:02 pm
