Ohio lawmakers introduced a bill this week that would allow local governments and colleges to not pay workers a prevailing wage on union work. Senate Bill 72 allows governments to pay workers less than a union-scale wage for construction projects. Current Ohio law requires current contracts to pay workers a prevailing wage.
The bill was introduced by Sen. Matt Huffman from Lima.
But getting rid of prevailing wage laws decreases worker wages by 16 percent, studies have shown. This can really hit workers hard as well as local economies that depend on money being spent in their communities. Approximately 30 states have prevailing wage laws that ensure employees are paid fairly for government construction work. Read more about the battle Ohio workers will be waging.