PA's Prevailing Wage Law - Abused and Misused

A federal court today issued an injunction against the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) in its effort to "debar" the firm Worth & Company from bidding on public construction contracts.  L&I is alleging that Worth & Company paid workers less that the state prevailing wage law required, on projects completed over six years ago. Worth believes that the state is targeting non-union firms for harassment, citing the fact that nearly every firm L&I goes after is a non-union firm.  Brad Vasoli has more, including the fact that Worth & Company - who L&I is claiming is unfair to its workers - won a "Best Places to Work in PA" award from the state six years in a row, an award based partly on employee voting.

Commonwealth Foundation intern Christopher Dodds has an editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer on Pennsylvania's prevailing wage law.  He notes the racist origins of these laws, and how well they are working, at least to meet that goal - the prevailing wage law insures fewer minorities are working in construction projects in Philadelphia.