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 $267/hour, right now. Couple of my union buddies make more than me - with no overhead, equipment expense, fuel costs, etc. Aaaaah...whataryagonnado?, its hard to stop communism/socialism.:usa
267 Aw!!! come on. The contractors will go broke in no time.
Plus benefits too.
you may mean prevailing wage which is usually some what near union..
Well, I'm not sure that he said, "union." What he definitely meant is Davis-Bacon wage rates, which are supposed to be an average of local area wages paid, including union and non-union. In actuality, local union scale is most often paid. I'm not sure why it plays out this way, but it does, and it has no union membership required. It's possible that non-union contractors took to paying scale to avoid having union business agents on the job promoting union membership. My brother did this in Michigan many years ago, actually joined the union himself, just so his workers did not have to. If a guy is making union scale, he's a lot less likely to want to become a member. Many state-only projects also require paying scale, most likely to avoid strikes, and to lure non-union contractors to bid.
267$ 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.
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?
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
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
:iagree Has there even been a pro union thread here before? - Chris :beerchug
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. 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.
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!
: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.
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
Is that a good or bad thing?
UH...I think he was just joking??
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
I am not going to argue with you anti-union guys, its not worth the time.:Banghead
I have sub contracted for other contractors on St. jobs - My understanding is the state would send out questionnaires to contractors local to the job - They then average the response - since union cont raters are better about responding the wage is usually close or the same as their rate- I did a job at one of the state Universities 'Prevailing wage was minimum wage - only one guy responded to their poll and he used part college kids- This was just a few miles from Seabrook Nuclear power Plant
Yet without the UAW you wouldnt have a 5 day work week, and a good wage. Did they take things to far? Sure, then again, you would have to say that the companies let the unions get away with too much too. But that being said, a company like GM needs to learn that it cannot cut its way to prosperity. For the past 5-8 years they have been tearing down old plants, for a profit. Then again, without plants, you cant make a product.
I'm shutting this down until I can come back and look this over closer. I have a meeting to attend and you all won't play nice so this playground is closed.
I've reviewed this thread and decided it has gone so far off topic it will remain closed.