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Republicans Selling Out Wisconsin Workers to Support Walker’s Presidential Ambitions PDF Print E-mail
News - Articles for State & Local
Written by Wisconsin Assembly Democrats   
Wednesday, 27 May 2015 12:02

constructionRamming Through Prevailing Wage Repeal Harmful to Workers, Businesses.


MADISON – Today the Democratic members of the Assembly Committee on Labor discussed Republican efforts to repeal the state’s successful prevailing wage system. The committee is holding a public hearing and is expected to vote on the bill (AB 32) today.

Prevailing wage laws protect Wisconsin jobs by ensuring construction projects go to local firms and local workers, rather than out-of-state firms that bring in low-wage workers. Wisconsin’s road and bridge construction workers are the most productive in the nation – completing each mile of roadwork 43 percent more cost-effectively than the national average.

christine-sinicki-milw“Our state’s prevailing wage system ensures that we are keeping Wisconsin workers on the worksite building high-quality projects at a low cost,” Rep. Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee) said. “Our road and bridge construction workers are among the most productive in the nation and build high-quality projects with low costs per mile and excellent training that ensures safety. Yet Republicans want to ram a repeal through their terrible budget that puts presidential politics and right-wing campaign donors ahead of the people of Wisconsin.”

“It’s bad enough that Republicans are selling out our public schools, universities and health care programs to support Gov. Walker’s presidential ambitions without them also selling out Wisconsin workers and small businesses,” Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine) said. “The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau has confirmed that repealing prevailing wage will save taxpayers little or no money. This is simply another way for Republicans to sacrifice the middle class on the altar of the governor’s political career.”

“Wisconsin has been the worst state in the nation for the middle class over the past decade, and repealing the prevailing wage would further drive down wages for working Wisconsinites,” Rep. Tod Ohnstad (D-Kenosha) said. “Democrats stand with working families and the more than 400 businesses who say that the current system works for them.”

More than 400 Wisconsin contractors and companies have come out in opposition to repealing prevailing wage. According to a January 2015 Public Opinion Strategies poll, 62 percent of Wisconsinites support our current prevailing wage law.

 
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