The Republican War on Working Class People Continues!

Bills have been introduced in the State House and Senate that would eliminate the requirement of paying prevailing wages on state projects (see HB 4172’13 and SB 0158’13) by repealing Public Act 166 of 1965. These bills are tie barred with bills that eliminate any reference to the repealed law.

The bills are being sponsored and cosponsored by the usual cast of suspects. We can count on Democrats, including Rep. Bill LaVoy (D-Monroe), to oppose these bills. In a recent meeting with members of the Monroe/Lenawee AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, Rep Dale Zorn (R-Ida) indicated that he would oppose repealing prevailing wage laws.

A referendum was placed before the 2011-2012 Michigan GOP convention on the question of whether to support a resolution repealing Michigan Prevailing Wage Law. The referendum apparently had the support of Sen. Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) who was reported by Right Michigan as being “genuinely surprised that the support wasn’t unanimous.”

The systematic repeal of state laws that require contractors to pay prevailing wages on state projects is well documented to be something that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has developed model legislation for.