A group of Utahns is pushing for a policy that would set a wage standard for state-funded construction projects.
Such a bill, they say, would result in standardizing the public bidding process for infrastructure projects, produce better-quality work on those projects, ensure local workers on state-funded projects, make it easier for Utah workers to earn a decent living and thus attract more tradespeople to the construction industry.
Such a policy — developed among legislators, construction businesses and workers and others — would establish a wage standard based on the Department of Labor’s existing surveys of employers working in each county.
“What this bill will do is ensure that when we’re building contracts for state projects, upfront, that we’re saying that we’re not going to undercut the local wage that already exists in those local communities,” Utah Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, said a recent news briefing organized by United Today, Stronger Tomorrow, which aims to improve the efficacy and transparency of government at the federal, state and local level.
“So, if we’re building a road in St. George or a new courthouse in Northern Utah or doing repairs on our beautiful State Capitol, that we’re making sure we’re not pricing people out of the market, so that people have to come from Wyoming or Texas to build these types of projects. We want to invest it here.”
Chris Baldwin, an electrician and general contractor, said an area wage standard would benefit young people wanting to get into construction and allow workers in the industry to advance at the same rate if they have the same skills and licensing. Currently, some workers are earning $7.25 per hour and others $20, “and they’re doing the same job, with the same license,” he said. “I think that’s got to go.”
Keevan Kadel, a journeyman glazier, said a standard would allow many construction workers to build their communities, stay home and make a decent living.
Bronson Thackery, whose family owns BRPI Mechanical, said his company has paid an area wage, and workers coming from other companies that did not have seen their lives improved. He also contends that wage standards would result in higher-quality work, meaning more longevity for taxpayer-funded projects.
The voting public apparently supports the area-wage effort. Among the results of a survey by Y2 Analytics is that over 60 percent of respondents support area wage standards before receiving any information on the policy, but the figure jumps to 74 percent after learning more. Seventy-eight percent say they believe Utah’s public dollars should prioritize funding work that allows workers to support themselves, and 54 percent believe policies should discourage employer reliance on state-sponsored services to supplement wage and benefits.
Over 70 percent prioritize publicly funded construction projects to the contractor with the highest quality of work over the lowest-cost bid, believe policies should incentivize the use of local contractors to complete public construction projects, and believe that public procurement should prioritize contractors with a history of safe projects over the lowest-cost contractor.
Policy supporters also say area wage standards do not create increased construction costs or a larger administrative burden, and noted that such standards already exist for federal government projects.
“If (trades) folks aren’t confident in being able to make ends meet, what does that do to our state and our society as a whole?” Clancy asked, adding that good jobs are the driving force of the middle class and the economy as
a whole.
A few decades ago, the path to a middle-class lifestyle was a good union job but now it is a college degree or other credentials, he said. Young people in the state now have “less confidence that if you’re playing by the rules and doing everything right that you’re going to be able to make ends meet,” he said. “This is about building it right the first time, this is about investing in Utah, and making sure our families have a shot at the American dream.”