LANSING — Last month, House Bill 4246, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) budget for fiscal Year 2019-2020, was passed along party lines. Included in HB 4246 was Section 327, which effectively bars MDOT from awarding bids to contractors that require their subcontractors to pay into the same union fringe benefits as the general contractors. If enacted, the majority of Michigan’s largest road contractors may be restricted from receiving project bids, possibly impacting road work completion. In response, state Rep. Brian Elder (D-Bay City) and Chair of the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus issued the following statement:
“We must respect and empower the collective bargaining rights of Michiganders, and that begins by supporting good paying jobs for these highly qualified and expertly trained workers. Michigan’s infrastructure is already in dire need of timely and long-lasting repairs – we cannot put our community’s safety in jeopardy by subjecting them to the delays and cut-corners Section 327 may create. Our taxpayers deserve the safe, high-quality results union contractors offer; Michigan’s future depends on it.”
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