Kersey Testifies on Prevailing Wage

Paul Kersey, director of labor policy, was invited to testify before the state House Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee regarding Michigan’s prevailing wage law, according to both MIRS Capitol Capsule and Gongwer News Service.

Prevailing wage dictates that union-scale wages be paid on construction projects involving taxpayer money, regardless of who gets the bid.

“It’s a silly use of funds at a time when the state is having a terrible time balancing its budget,” Kersey told the committee.

"There's no question that unions have had a great deal of influence in the state of Michigan for a long time, and they've had that with very little accountability for how they've used it," Kersey told The Detroit News. "The state is struggling right now, and I think the unions have to understand that the time has come for them to be accountable for the power they wield and the way they've used it."

Previous Center research indicates the state could save more than $200 million if the law was repealed, according to the Port Huron Times-Herald.

State Rep. Bradford Jacobsen, R-Oxford, has introduced House Bill 4226 to repeal the law, which he outlined in this Oakland Press Op-Ed.

More information on the issue can be found here.

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