Gov. Steve Sisolak (D-Nev.) signed bills into law this week that raise the prevailing wage for workers on some public construction projects and remove restrictions on union-affiliated contractors by public agencies, according to www.constructiondive.com.
Assembly Bill 136 rolls back the prevailing wage threshold contract amount for public projects to $100,000 from its current level of $250,000 and restores the prevailing wage for workers on public school projects to 100%. Under the previous law, those workers earned 90% of the prevailing wage.
Senate Bill 231 repeals a previous prohibition on contractors entering into agreements with trade unions and abiding by other labor-related restrictions while they are working on public projects.
Opponents of a prevailing wage requirement consider it to be anti-competition and believe the free market should play a major role in deciding rates of pay beyond minimum wage. Some argue the regulations are bad for state and local economies because they discourage companies from wanting to do business in those locations.
Those who support a prevailing wage argue such requirements lead to increased productivity, higher wages for construction workers and enhanced safety on the worksite.
