House Vote: Prevailing Wages
Summary: Excludes workers on HOPE VI housing projects from a requirement that workers on federally-funded construction projects be paid the prevailing local rate
Result: Amendment Rejected
A vote against the amendment was counted as a + vote (in line with LCCR's position)
View individual member votes on this bill by state:
Bill Name: HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007
Bill Number: H.R. 3524
Issue: Labor/Working Families
Date: 01/17/08
Roll Call No. 15
This amendment to a federal housing bill would have excluded workers on housing projects funded by the bill from the protections of the Davis-Bacon Act.
Davis-Bacon is a law establishing that wages for federally-funded construction projects be set at the prevailing rate for local construction projects.
LCCR supports the protections of the Davis-Bacon Act, which promote a stable income for workers in the construction industry.
The Davis-Bacon Act provides that government contractors cannot undercut local construction wages by paying a lower rate. This concern is significant because government projects are often of enormous scale and can, in and of themselves, dramatically lower the local wage rate.
By keeping rates at the prevailing local levels, Davis-Bacon ensures a decent standard of living for construction workers.
This amendment would have exempted major projects from the Davis-Bacon requirement and would have paved the way for further exemptions in other bills.
Result: The House rejected the amendment (136-268).
