Union wage?

dirtpusher9 · Mar 22, 2009

I heard that obama said, that it was mandatory the stimulus money that the highway projects get will have to pay union wage. Has anyone else heard this? What do union blade hands make? It sounds to me like this is just a way to unionize every thing.

Joe

special tool · Mar 22, 2009

dirtpusher9 said:
I heard that obama said, that it was mandatory the stimulus money that the highway projects get will have to pay union wage. Has anyone else heard this? What do union blade hands make? It sounds to me like this is just a way to unionize every thing.

Joe

If I'm not mistaken, they make aout $267/hour, right now.

Couple of my union buddies make more than me - with no overhead, equipment expense, fuel costs, etc.

Aaaaah...whataryagonnado?, its hard to stop communism/socialism.:usa

dirtpusher9 · Mar 22, 2009

267 Aw!!! come on. The contractors will go broke in no time.

Cat287B · Mar 22, 2009

special tool said:
If I'm not mistaken, they make aout $267/hour, right now.
Couple of my union buddies make more than me - with no overhead, equipment expense, fuel costs, etc.

Aaaaah...whataryagonnado?, its hard to stop communism/socialism.:usa

Plus benefits too.

Speedpup · Mar 22, 2009

you may mean prevailing wage which is usually some what near union..

surfer-joe · Mar 22, 2009

Well, I'm not sure that he said, "union." What he definitely meant is Davis-Bacon wage rates, which are supposed to be an average of local area wages paid, including union and non-union. In actuality, local union scale is most often paid. I'm not sure why it plays out this way, but it does, and it has no union membership required.

It's possible that non-union contractors took to paying scale to avoid having union business agents on the job promoting union membership. My brother did this in Michigan many years ago, actually joined the union himself, just so his workers did not have to. If a guy is making union scale, he's a lot less likely to want to become a member.

Many state-only projects also require paying scale, most likely to avoid strikes, and to lure non-union contractors to bid.

dirtpusher9 · Mar 22, 2009

267$ an hour for a finish blade man. I make 24 with benys right know,and thought that was pretty good. I just can't see how they could pay that much. Figured it would go up to about $50/hr.

Buckethead · Mar 22, 2009

Nobody makes 267 an hour!

No operator anywhere on earth gets paid 267 an hour. "Special" tool you know that is not the truth, why don't you delete that?

dieseldave · Mar 22, 2009

I think the "

" meant that he was kidding.

On corps of engineers contracts or any prevailing wage job we get paid according to Davis-Bacon http://www.gpo.gov/davisbacon/allstates.html

Last year in NJ it was 56.17 (35.17 rate and 21.00 fringe, I think) for the dozer and around $4 an hour more for the excavator. If I'm reading their site correctly a grader operator would be about the same. But that's only for Jersey- if we go across the bridge to Delaware we lose about $10 an hour. If we went to Florida we'd lose about $45 an hour. In one Florida county (Lake) I saw that the rate was $8.51 for grader and $7.16 for dozer

qball · Mar 22, 2009

it's funny how a decidedly anti union thread, or at least a thread that carries a certain amount of tension is not locked.
wonder what would happen with a pro union thread?

Deere9670 · Mar 22, 2009

qball said:
it's funny how a decidedly anti union thread, or at least a thread that carries a certain amount of tension is not locked.
wonder what would happen with a pro union thread?

:iagree

opcorn

ConstSite · Mar 22, 2009

qball said:
wonder what would happen with a pro union thread?

:iagree

Has there even been a pro union thread here before?

- Chris :beerchug

Steve Frazier · Mar 23, 2009

If you want us to lock a thread every time "union" is mentioned, we can do that. Rather than jumping in here and crying "foul" qball, you might have offered dirtpusher some answers to his questions from your point of view.

Special Tool, I will agree that your post is over the line, I trust we won't see another one like that here.

Personal attacks of any kind on other members will not be tolerated. While disagreements in opinions and procedures may arise, they must be handled in a mature and civil manner.

I did a search on "union" and of the 304 threads where "union" is mentioned, only one has been closed, and the disagreement in that one had nothing to do with unions. To make the accusation that has been done here is not only unwarranted, but also unfair.

Speedpup · Mar 23, 2009

surfer-joe said:
Well, I'm not sure that he said, "union." What he definitely meant is Davis-Bacon wage rates, which are supposed to be an average of local area wages paid, including union and non-union. In actuality, local union scale is most often paid. I'm not sure why it plays out this way, but it does, and it has no union membership required.

It's possible that non-union contractors took to paying scale to avoid having union business agents on the job promoting union membership. My brother did this in Michigan many years ago, actually joined the union himself, just so his workers did not have to. If a guy is making union scale, he's a lot less likely to want to become a member.

Many state-only projects also require paying scale, most likely to avoid strikes, and to lure non-union contractors to bid.

Local labor departments don't have the money or resources to go out and actually find the true prevailing wage in an area every few years. I guess that is why they just use what union contractors negoiated. It does not include some items like check-off dues and the like. You can look up the rates on your area on line in most areas.

My contract spec's in NY use to have rates attached now they contractors just say to look at rates online. Trouble is there is not much enforcement or prosececution. The rewards are great for cheaters and for people who obey the laws in tight times you have a hard time getting work as I well know. Cost me about 560 per day for a bricklayer with all insurance and labor burden and the crook down the street pays a guy 150 cash. :Banghead:Banghead Don't think half the municipalities care as long as the price is cheap.

http://www.labor.state.ny.us/prevailing_wage_home.shtm

During the Great Depression bricklayers would mill around the jobs going with matches in their cap to signify how cheap they would work and we don't want to go back to that!

D5G · Mar 23, 2009

qball said:
it's funny how a decidedly anti union thread, or at least a thread that carries a certain amount of tension is not locked.
wonder what would happen with a pro union thread?

:usa

I just don't understand all these anti-union people, really, lets look at the facts. MOST big projects are done by union workers. The unions are almost the only way you can bring 100+ people to a job, wether it is bricklayers, operators, carpenters, or laborers. Lets also remember, we wouldn't be where we are today without unions. I don't want any trouble or to be preached to I am merely stating my personal feelings. And that $267 an hour crack was uncalled for, big time.

Speedpup · Mar 23, 2009

In the link below there are 32 states with no prevailing wage laws.How are wages then determined on those states on Federally funded projects? Thanks!

http://www.paypershop.com/news-cat2/pwl.html

Cretebaby · Mar 23, 2009

D5G said:
: Lets also remember, we wouldn't be where we are today without unions..

Is that a good or bad thing?

DragNut · Mar 23, 2009

dirtpusher9 said:
267$ an hour for a finish blade man. I make 24 with benys right know,and thought that was pretty good. I just can't see how they could pay that much. Figured it would go up to about $50/hr.

UH...I think he was just joking??

D5G · Mar 23, 2009

Cretebaby said:
Is that a good or bad thing?

That depends, are you anti-union or pro-union?

Cretebaby · Mar 23, 2009

D5G said:
That depends, are you anti-union or pro-union?

Shouldn't matter either way

I understand what you are saying but an argument could be made that unions are part of the reasons the country is in the crapper

Union wage?

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