Also, as part of the stimulus, isn’t there a statement in there about people bidding on contracts….if they bid, then they must pay their help the prevailing wage. So a non-union bricklayer must be paid at the union rate in order for the company be able to bid. Like taking every bricklayer in private business getting a $10000 pay increase just so the company can bit.

This means, of course, the non-union company cannot really bid because in their bidding strategy costs, they must include major pay raises for the help. Said to protect the Union against unfair bidding, it actually favors the union and is unfair against non-union business. And person who works for him does with less because they can’t find enough work.

74.125.47.132

2. Prevailing Wage RatesThe ARRA specifically provides that all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors and subcontractors (whether or not unionized) on projects funded by stimulus funds, are required to be paid prevailing wages. This expansion of prevailing wage rates means that non-union contactors accessing stimulus funds cannot gain an unfair bidding advantage by paying wages below the union rate