HomeMy WebLinkAboutOpposing Senate Bill and House Bill Which Would Repeal the Common Construction Wage LawAttest:
RESOLUTION
4424 -15
Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana
February 23,
15
20
Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana
February 24, 2015
City Clerk
President of Common Council
Approved and signed by me w EU4 W e Y F6 15' 20 .
City Clerk
M.
SUBSTITUTE BILL NO. 15-11
RESOLUTION NO. �1 2N J S
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA,
OPPOSING SENATE BILL 198 AND HOUSE BILL 1019 WHICH WOULD REPEAL THE
COMMON CONSTRUCTION WAGE LAW
C%C the State of Indiana's Common Construction Wage statute was first enacted in 1935; is
commonly referred to as a prevailing wage law; and governs wage rates paid to construction workers on
Indiana's public works projects; and
wage rates are adopted by Common Construction Wage Committees in each project county
in public hearings where a public works project is estimated to exceed $350,000 in construction costs
which would be paid for by state or local funds and would be owned or leased with an option to purchase
by the state or a political subdivision; and
6)%� currently Senate Bill 198 sponsored by State Senator Carlin Yoder and House Bill 1019
sponsored by State Representative Jerry Torr are pending in the Indiana General Assembly, with both bills
proposed to repeal Indiana's Common Construction Wage law with an effective date of July 1, 2015; and
6%6m& SB 198 was one of 589 Bills filed and was referred to the Committee on Pensions and
Labor on January 6, 2015 and it remains;
House Bill 1019 was one of 669 Bills filed and was referred to the Committee on
Employment, Labor and Pensions; and now has eight (8) co- sponsors as of February 16, 2015; and
dlh�e the November 23, 2014 "Fiscal Impact Statement" on HB 1019 reported similar
information as that reported on SB 198; and
(%C it has been reported that approximately 9.1% of the workforce in the State of Indiana
currently belongs to a union; and
NC,w4 the Indiana Department of Labor's website has information dedicated to the Common
Construction Wage where "nearly all wage scales adopted from 2005 to the present are available; with the
most recent entry for the City of South Bend being made on January 7, 2015 for project # IDOL 20140696
where wage rates were established by the Common Construction Wage Committee, who were appointed
pursuant to Indiana Code § 5 -16 -7 et seq for many classifications listing the total hourly highest and
lowest rates for skilled being $73.07 and $31.66; for semiskilled being $60.47 and $30.31; and unskilled
$52.19 and $16.95; and projects for St. Joseph County in 2c01111 through 2015 totaling 68; and
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Section I. The Common Council recognizes that for the past eighty (80) years, Indiana's Common
Construction Wage codified at Indiana Code § 5- 16 -7 -1 et seq., has promoted "efficiency, quality, and safety by
providing for a stable, well- trained labor force" on public works projects throughout the state.
Common Construction Wage Resolution
Page 2
Section II. The two (2) Bills currently pending in the Indiana General Assembly would repeal this
state law which would result in a loss of higher wages and fringe benefits for both union and non -union
workers; and may undermine proper training for public construction workers similar to the 1930s when
workers from outside of the State of Indiana undercut Indiana contractors with less - skilled, lower paid
workforces.
Section III. The sponsors of the two pending Bills have yet to address any of the potential negative
results if either of these Bills are passed, such as how it would impact:
• Safety of the workers and the public
• Diversity of the workforce
• Training and apprenticeship programs
• Wages, health care and pension benefits
Section IV. Upon the adoption of this Resolution, the City Clerk shall send copies of this
Resolution to all elected state officials representing the City of South Bend requesting them to vote "no"
on these SB 198 and HB 1019.
Section V. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by the Common
Council and approval by the Mayor.
Voting in Favor p
Voting Against
9:-,
SL-44,
John Voorde, City Clerk
r� s
PRESENTED 2 -z3'1 S- a.5- � " 4
NOT APPROVED
ADOPTEG3
C
Henry Davis, Jr., 2 istrict
South Bend Common Council
Pete Buttigi g, May outh Bend, Indiana
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CITY CLER.�, Si z a4ND, IN
TO THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND:
Your Committee of the Whole, to whom was referred:
BILL NO.
15 -11 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, OPPOSING SENATE
BILL 198 AND HOUSE BILL 1019 WHICH WOULD REPEAL
THE COMMON CONSTRUCTION WAGE LAW
Respectfully report that they have examined the matter and that in their opinion,
this bill is being recommended to the full Council with a favorable
recommendation as substituted by taking out the 4th whereas statement.
This bill was heard by the Personnel & Finance Committees.
Karen L. White
Chairperson, Committee of the Whole