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Battle Creek Oks prevailing wage law

Date Posted: May 13 2005

BATTLE CREEK - City Commissioners on April 12 lowered the level by which prevailing wages must be paid on taxpayer-funded construction projects. The previous level was $500,000; now, prevailing wages are applied to city-sponsored projects with a value of $50,000 or more.

In an era when such pro-worker legislation is very much a rarity, the measure was adopted, 9-0.

"I didn't think it had a snowball's chance in hell when we started," said Steve Franklin, business manager of IBEW Local 445 and a Battle Creek city commissioner for the last 18 months. "But this just highlights the importance of having an open dialogue with elected officials."

Franklin said during the last election cycle, commission candidates were asked during an AFL-CIO candidate forum whether they would be willing to support a prevailing wage ordinance in the city. None balked at the idea, and Commissioner Ryan Hirsha kept that in mind when he later approached Franklin about lowering the prevailing wage level. After some lobbying and education efforts, the other commissions came on board.

Prevailing wage laws establish a baseline for wages that contractors must pay construction workers on taxpayer-funded contractors. The State of Michigan and federal government also have prevailing wage laws, which uphold wage standards and worker quality by preventing unscrupulous contractors from winning bids by paying their workers a lower wage.

Franklin estimates that as much as $2.5 million worth of city-sponsored construction work will fall under the prevailing wage law.