Dear Members of the House Labor and Industry Committee:

On behalf of Americans for Prosperity, Pennsylvania and it’s activists, I write in vigorous support of the four measures brought by the House to Amend the Pennsylvania Prevailing Wage Act: House Bills 1271, 1685, 1329 and 1367. These bills will bring to end the costly and discriminatory practices long-associated with the relationship between unions and government.

The current law forces the state to determine prevailing wage based solely on the rate of the average union worker. This results in fewer completed projects and higher costs for the taxpayers. At the same time, the law makes it difficult for non-union businesses to compete for work on government-funded projects. For decades, unions have enjoyed an unfair bidding advantage over small, independent businesses. The new law would bring the prevailing wage in line with going market wages and stimulate the competitive market in the process. These bills will restore a level playing field that will allow both union and non-union businesses to bid competitively for government projects.

If passed these bills will also force the artificially low $25,000 total estimated project cost to conform to the Consumer Price Index of the previous calendar year. The current amount, which is based on the 1963 Consumer Price Index, allows the prevailing wage to kick in at an artificially low threshold turning what would otherwise be minor projects into cost-prohibitive ventures for school districts and municipalities.

I strongly believe that passage of these bills will help boost sagging employment in our state as well. With the cost of public works projects reduced, it is reasonable to conclude that more projects can be undertaken, and more Pennsylvanians will be put to work.

On behalf of Americans for Prosperity, Pennsylvania, I can say that we are very proud to support the above bills. I urge your colleagues to support passage of these important and historical pieces of legislation, and I look forward to working with you toward a freer Pennsylvania.

For Liberty,

Jennifer Stefano
Director of Energy and Labor Policy
Americans for Prosperity, Pennsylvania