Perhaps the issue nearest and dearest to our hearts at LECET, because of its extreme importance to protecting our contractors’ market share and members’ wages, is Prevailing Wage legislation and certification.
Prevailing wage is a local-market minimum wage for skilled construction work on publicly-funded projects – including roads, bridges, public transit, utilities, water lines, pipelines, schools, libraries, and public buildings. Prevailing wage standards promote a level playing field, reflect local labor markets, support training programs, and encourage safe and productive workers.
We are fortunate in Illinois to have Prevailing Wage Legislation on the books – many states do not. There are constant attempts to weaken the law or use underhanded methods to certify the rates. These are things we take very seriously at LECET and we work hard to do all we can to protect Illinois Prevailing Wage laws, help to enforce them, and certify to correct rates for our members.
The Illinois Economic Policy Institute has done some AWESOME research on Prevailing Wage Laws and how they affect the economy and workers’ wages. https://illinoisepi.org/prevailing-wage-studies/