The Kentucky Legislative Research Commision provides a map to reveal the elected officials in your area. You can use the search by address at the top or select your location. By clicking on his/her bio page, you can find contact information including phone, email and mailing adress. We encourage everyone to reach out to your elected officials regarding issues of concern.
/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CMWCarpenterslogoFIN.png00IKORCC/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CMWCarpenterslogoFIN.pngIKORCC2016-01-05 00:00:002019-06-23 04:35:48Who are my legislators in Kentucky?
A study of 3 states – including Kentucky – found no meaningful cost difference on school construction comparing states with and without prevailing wage.*
Why do the costs not go up with prevailing wage?
Labor only makes up 21% of total building construction costs in Kentucky. Reducing wages doesn’t produce any savings without paying workers illegally below minimum wage. However, productivity does drive the cost of construction. Skilled workers on prevailing wage jobs are 15% more productive than less-skilled workers.
Kentucky taxpayers get better project quality and self-sustaining jobs at no additional cost to the taxpayer. Lowering local standards for construction wages attracts a lower skilled, out-of-area workforce which results in large productivity losses, costly errors on the construction project, inefficient use of expensive materials and fewer jobs for Kentuckians.
Projects paying the prevailing wage create local jobs because they are more likely to employ local residents. States that maintain prevailing wages ensure that local contractors and local residents can compete for the work their hard-earned tax dollars fund. Local contractors bid on quality and productivity and out-of-state contractors don’t bring in a low-wage workforce that take jobs from local construction workers.
Common construction wage projects also directly support local training programs. These programs give local residents an entry point into a career in the building trades, and the people who benefit the most often come from communities surrounding prevailing wage projects. Others who benefit are our veterans, many returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through the Helmets to Hardhats program, these men and women receive the necessary training to successfully re-enter the civilian workforce. They learn skills that pay a wage such that they can support themselves and their family after serving their country. As government money for the Helmets to Hardhats continues to become less reliable, it’s more important than ever to maintain common construction wage jobs that support these programs.
Training programs also offer opportunities to young people, especially those unable or uninterested in pursuing a college degree. These training programs are open to anyone willing to learn a skilled trade and work hard. On-the-job training prepares them for a productive career, one that allows them to learn while they earn. The training programs also team with colleges to offer college credits for apprenticeship training. Once they graduate, these young people work to receive a wage adequate for supporting a family and contributing to their home community.
Prevailing wage is directly linked to job creation by generating jobs for local construction professionals, giving people an opportunity to learn a skill, earn a living, and support a community.
“My job for the Marines is construction, and the Helmets to Hardhats programs give me the opportunity to advance my skills doing work I can be proud of for the citizens I serve. The common construction wage supports training programs which have helped me find work and make a good living.”
https://www.cmwcarpenters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/16-1_0_0.jpg445300IKORCC/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CMWCarpenterslogoFIN.pngIKORCC2015-12-31 00:00:002019-06-23 04:42:39Creating Good Jobs
“The common construction wage provides good paying jobs in my district of the state. In turn, money spent by workers earning the common construction wage generates sales revenue locally and provides sales tax to the state’s general fund.” Indiana State Representative Lloyd Arnold, D74
The benefits of paying prevailing wage extend far beyond workers’ paychecks. Those paychecks set in motion an economic ripple effect that quickly lifts the bottom lines of local businesses, shops and service providers. When working families have money to spend, they do so at local restaurants, shopping malls, and grocery stores– spurring additional job creation that keeps communities and businesses strong. In fact, studies show that every dollar spent on a prevailing wage project generates $1.50 in economic activity in the community.
Businesses looking to establish themselves in new cities look for this type of environment where a solid community and workforce will help their business grow. Contractors who pay workers as little as possible on public projects create high turnover in a workforce that has little or no consumer spending power to support local businesses. Businesses do not move into areas where low wages are the predominant means of income.
The concept of paying minimal or subsistence wages to save money is an illusion created by D.C. lobbyists interested only in increasing profits for their big business clients, and hurts our communities in the long run. With labor costs typically amounting to about 23 percent of public works construction project costs, a wage decrease of 10 percent would only affect overall project costs by 2.2 percent. That marginal savings evaporates long before a project is completed in errors and missing deadlines. Lower wages means lower-skilled workers, so projects go over time and over budget.
As for the city and local government, they are often left with substandard quality roads, bridges, and buildings that just don’t last. Taxpayers must pay for ongoing maintenance and repairs. Many of the low-wage workers are pushed into relying on government subsidies for healthcare, housing and other social services — all at taxpayer expense.
https://www.cmwcarpenters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/17-2_0.jpg183300IKORCC/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CMWCarpenterslogoFIN.pngIKORCC2015-12-31 00:00:002019-06-23 05:01:21Driving Economic Development
Who are my legislators in Kentucky?
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCThe Kentucky Legislative Research Commision provides a map to reveal the elected officials in your area. You can use the search by address at the top or select your location. By clicking on his/her bio page, you can find contact information including phone, email and mailing adress. We encourage everyone to reach out to your elected officials regarding issues of concern.
Fun Fact Friday
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCPrevailing Wage Controls Costs
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCA study of 3 states – including Kentucky – found no meaningful cost difference on school construction comparing states with and without prevailing wage.*
Why do the costs not go up with prevailing wage?
*Kentucky’s Prevailing Wage Law, Phillips, P., 2014.
Creating Good Jobs
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCCProjects paying the prevailing wage create local jobs because they are more likely to employ local residents. States that maintain prevailing wages ensure that local contractors and local residents can compete for the work their hard-earned tax dollars fund. Local contractors bid on quality and productivity and out-of-state contractors don’t bring in a low-wage workforce that take jobs from local construction workers.
Common construction wage projects also directly support local training programs. These programs give local residents an entry point into a career in the building trades, and the people who benefit the most often come from communities surrounding prevailing wage projects. Others who benefit are our veterans, many returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Through the Helmets to Hardhats program, these men and women receive the necessary training to successfully re-enter the civilian workforce. They learn skills that pay a wage such that they can support themselves and their family after serving their country. As government money for the Helmets to Hardhats continues to become less reliable, it’s more important than ever to maintain common construction wage jobs that support these programs.
Training programs also offer opportunities to young people, especially those unable or uninterested in pursuing a college degree. These training programs are open to anyone willing to learn a skilled trade and work hard. On-the-job training prepares them for a productive career, one that allows them to learn while they earn. The training programs also team with colleges to offer college credits for apprenticeship training. Once they graduate, these young people work to receive a wage adequate for supporting a family and contributing to their home community.
Prevailing wage is directly linked to job creation by generating jobs for local construction professionals, giving people an opportunity to learn a skill, earn a living, and support a community.
“My job for the Marines is construction, and the Helmets to Hardhats programs give me the opportunity to advance my skills doing work I can be proud of for the citizens I serve. The common construction wage supports training programs which have helped me find work and make a good living.”
Source: BuildingStrongCommunities
Driving Economic Development
/0 Comments/in News /by IKORCC“The common construction wage provides good paying jobs in my district of the state. In turn, money spent by workers earning the common construction wage generates sales revenue locally and provides sales tax to the state’s general fund.” Indiana State Representative Lloyd Arnold, D74
The benefits of paying prevailing wage extend far beyond workers’ paychecks. Those paychecks set in motion an economic ripple effect that quickly lifts the bottom lines of local businesses, shops and service providers. When working families have money to spend, they do so at local restaurants, shopping malls, and grocery stores– spurring additional job creation that keeps communities and businesses strong. In fact, studies show that every dollar spent on a prevailing wage project generates $1.50 in economic activity in the community.
Businesses looking to establish themselves in new cities look for this type of environment where a solid community and workforce will help their business grow. Contractors who pay workers as little as possible on public projects create high turnover in a workforce that has little or no consumer spending power to support local businesses. Businesses do not move into areas where low wages are the predominant means of income.
The concept of paying minimal or subsistence wages to save money is an illusion created by D.C. lobbyists interested only in increasing profits for their big business clients, and hurts our communities in the long run. With labor costs typically amounting to about 23 percent of public works construction project costs, a wage decrease of 10 percent would only affect overall project costs by 2.2 percent. That marginal savings evaporates long before a project is completed in errors and missing deadlines. Lower wages means lower-skilled workers, so projects go over time and over budget.
As for the city and local government, they are often left with substandard quality roads, bridges, and buildings that just don’t last. Taxpayers must pay for ongoing maintenance and repairs. Many of the low-wage workers are pushed into relying on government subsidies for healthcare, housing and other social services — all at taxpayer expense.