Contractors to Rally at Statehouse
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indiana Building Contractors Alliance is holding a rally today in Indianapolis to oppose a bill that would repeal the common wage. An amended version of the proposal, which includes a required employee training program, is expected to come up for a full Senate vote this week.
April 10, 2015
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — The Indiana Building Contractors Alliance and their employees will rally at the Indiana Statehouse Monday, April 13 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in opposition of House Bill 1019: Repeal of Common Construction Wage.
The Indiana General Assembly will vote next week on the bill to repeal the 80-year-old Indiana Common Construction Wage Law. The law was originally an initiative to keep out-of-state contractors with lower-skilled workers from working in Indiana and undercutting local contractors on state-funded construction projects. Today, the law has become a political hotbed between the state legislature and labor. However, the repeal of the Common Construction Wage law is a business issue that would negatively impact thousands of Indiana construction businesses, as well as local communities, throughout the state.
Representing the businesses most likely to be impacted by the repeal of this law, the Indiana Building Contractors Alliance (IBCA) represents 4,000 contractors in support of maintaining the current Common Construction Wage law.
ABOUT THE COMMON CONSTRUCTION WAGE LAW IN INDIANA
The Common Construction Wage Law allows local communities to determine the wages to be paid on public works construction projects in their area. These wages are established by a five-person committee comprised of taxpayers, industry experts and the agency building the project. The committee determines the wages to be paid on these projects based on the wages construction workers have been paid in that county in the past.
–FACT: Over 4000 Indiana Contractors support Common Construction Wage
–FACT: Indiana-Specific studies show that CCW increased the Indiana economy by $700 million. Workers on these projects contribute $21 million in taxes and jobs stay local.
–FACT: NO study that looks at the final costs of a project shows that CCW increases overall project costs — paying for skill increases productivity and reduces waste and errors.
COMMON CONSTRUCTION WAGE IS A BUSINESS-DRIVEN POLICY
–CCW is not a LABOR issue. It is a BUSINESS issue impacting contractors.
–CCW was originally passed by the legislature at the request of local contractors who were being undercut by out-of-state contractors bringing in low-wage, low-skilled workers from outside the community.
–These out-of-state contractors would then leave when the project was completed – taking local jobs and local spending with them.
–CCW provides protection of taxpayer dollars to local communities and businesses.
–Having a local, high-skilled workforce for projects is a critical aspect of finishing projects on time and on budget. It’s much more effective to have a pool of high-skilled workers who do the job right the first time than to pay lower wages for workers who don’t have the right skills and can’t do the job at hand.
About Indiana Building Contractors Alliance:
The Indiana Building Contractors Alliance (IBCA) is comprised of more than 4,000 Hoosier contractors. Our contractors have a shared, common vision for the education and training of the workforce, and focus their interests in preserving policies that support the construction industry. Our member contractors and associations represent the largest group of construction firms and the largest volume of construction effort in Indiana.
Source: Indiana Building Contractors Alliance