LANSING — Today, the House of Representatives voted on a proposal to repeal the state’s prevailing wage law, which ensured that workers on state projects were paid a fair wage. The proposal passed by a vote of 56-53. In response, state Rep. Phil Phelps (D-Flushing) issued the following statement:
“Our prevailing wage laws guaranteed skilled workers were able to earn a decent living for the hard work they do — one where they could pay their bills, support a family and plan for a secure retirement. Repealing our prevailing wage will only cost us more in the long run, increasing costs for the state when low-quality projects must be redone, all the while shortchanging families by slashing their wages. Good labor isn’t cheap, and cheap labor isn’t good. Not to mention that a repeal today means forcing our skilled laborers out of state to find work, hurting them, their communities and local small businesses in the process. I will always stand with the tradesmen and women of our state against attempts to rob them of their hard-earned benefits and pay.”
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