The Fight Over Prevailing Wages Rages On The Davis-Bacon Act, the prevailing wage law, has been under constant attack in Congress, in state legislatures, and in city halls. Prevailing wage law establishes the minimum wage for skilled construction workers on taxpayer-supported projects. So far, our opponents have not mustered enough support to repeal the law. Instead, they try to raise the threshold to which the law applies, reduce the number of projects subject to the requirement, and change the way wages are calculated (a transparent strategy to lower them). The fight endures to this day. In December 2020, then-President Trump’s Department of Labor rolled back Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections for surveyors. 1 With the stroke of a pen, the Trump administration reduced job opportunities for Operating Engineers and lowered wages across our industry. The former president’s people also slashed prevailing wage rates for taxpayer-funded residential construction across the country, changing the way the rates are calculated with the sole intention of lowering them. Things began to change after we elected the most pro-union administration in history. Listening to the IUOE and others’ ideas about strengthening the law, the Biden-Harris administration moved aggressively to update the Davis-Bacon regulations. 2 Vice President Harris said: “...many workers are paid much less than they deserve, much less than the value of their work. And not just by a little. In some cases, by thousands of dollars a year. And that is wrong, obviously, and completely unacceptable in a Biden-Harris administration,” when announcing the administration’s actions to strengthen the regulations. 3 The new regulations made it more likely that union wage rates prevail and the prevailing wage requirement for surveyors was restored. They made it more likely that IUOE collective bargaining agreements establish the prevailing wage rate. In the long history of the Davis-Bacon Act, the Operating Engineers have been its strongest advocate. Through our strength, the IUOE has successfully beaten back countless attacks to weaken and repeal the law. The update of the Davis-Bacon Act by the Biden-Harris administration was a tremendous victory for the Operating Engineers and highlights the need to remain steadfast in electing pro- Operating Engineer candidates. 1 Source: NY Daily News 2 Source: National Association of Counties 3 Source: Remarks by Vice President Harris, August 8, 2023
All Signs Point to Strong Economic Growth, For Everyone The United States recently achieved the lowest unemployment rates for the longest stretch in over 50 years. For 27 months straight – from February 2022 to April 2024 – the unemployment rate remained below 4%, a feat not seen since the late 1960s. When they came into office in January 2021, the Biden-Harris administration inherited an unemployment rate of 6.4 percent. In September 2024, the unemployment rate was down to 4.1 percent. New data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that overall employment in construction grew by 25,000 jobs in September to reach 8,303,000 workers. This is yet another new record for the most construction workers ever employed in the United States. And it is another example of how the Biden-Harris administration is delivering for Operating Engineers. “I don’t have any hesitation voting for Kamala Harris. We have already had a Donald Trump presidency, and there has been so much division and hatred that has gone along with that. I’m voting for Harris- Walz because if you have an opportunity to make something better at the end of the day, you should do that.” — Maureen Kemp, Stationary Engineer – Local 324
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