Wage rules lifted

[MoniqueU]

There will be no shortage of higher paying jobs with this disaster. The market will pay market wages and with skilled labor being at a shortage wages will naturally rise. Everyone and their uncle wants their house to be repaired yesterday and is going to be willing to pay via insurance money if they have it to get that going.

 

[DisneyMomOK]

My husband managed a small contracting firm several years ago that did some work that was partially paid with Federal dollars and, consequently, had to follow the Davis-Bacon requirements. He had both union sheet-metal workers and non-union plumbers. There was very little difference in the union-scale wages the plumbers made under D-B, as opposed to their typical non-union wages. I am sure this will get me flamed, but if the contractors are required to use employees that are here legally, there can be no unfair wages paid. Skilled labor jobs in this country have always been a doorway to the middle class.

Sharon

 

[mickeyfan2]

The prevailing wage for construction work in the New Orleans area is about $9 an hour.

Can you please show me where you got this. When we were building our home 13 years ago we paid $25+/hour. Not bad money.

 

[peachgirl]

Can you please show me where you got this. When we were building our home 13 years ago we paid $25+/hour. Not bad money.

$25 an hour in LA 13 years ago? Wow...

Actually, no I don't have the link. I just did a seach and found a website discussing the Davis-Bacon requirements and just happened to have prevailing constructions job wages for LA.

If I can find it again, I'll post it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

$25 an hour in LA 13 years ago? Wow.

Where did I say it was in NOLA? You are great at putting words in other peoples mouths.

 

[peachgirl]

Edited because I wanted to...

 

[wvjules]

peachgirls statement....

Quote:
Originally Posted by peachgirl
The prevailing wage for construction work in the New Orleans area is about $9 an hour.

and your response....

Originally Posted by mickeyfan2
Can you please show me where you got this. When we were building our home 13 years ago we paid $25+/hour. Not bad money.

Seems from your response to the NO wages that you live there and paid $25. No putting words in your mouth at all, it was clearly implied.

 

[peachgirl]

Where did I say it was in NOLA? You are great at putting words in other peoples mouths.

And you're being rude for no reason. No wonder it didn't make any sense. You can't compare one area of the country to another.

You want the information, you look for it.

 

[BuckNaked]

Here are the numbers from Orleans Parish:

SULA2004-003 03/25/2004

Rates Fringes

Carpenter
Drywall & Metal Stud
Installation................$ 14.00 0.70
Formbuilding/Formsetting....$ 12.70 0.56
All Other Work..............$ 13.68 0.00
Cement Mason/Concrete Finisher.$ 12.28 0.00
Laborers:
Common......................$ 9.55 1.05
Mason Tender................$ 9.32 0.00
Power Equipment Operator
Backhoe/Excavator...........$ 14.00 0.42
Bulldozer...................$ 15.17 0.00
Crane.......................$ 14.00 1.80
Roofer (including Built Up,
Composition and Single Ply)
(includes metal roof)..........$ 12.28 0.00
Sheet Metal Worker (excluding
HVAC duct).....................$ 13.26 1.91


These are from a year and a half ago.

 

[mickeyfan2]

And you're being rude for no reason. No wonder it didn't make any sense. You can't compare one area of the country to another.

You want the information, you look for it.

This is what the site said for where I live. This is way too low. It is also 8 years later than when we built. You also need to add the two numbers together.

SUPA1999-009 09/29/1999

Rates Fringes

Carpenter......................$ 14.26 3.28
Drywall Finisher...............$ 10.65 2.57
Electrician....................$ 14.99 5.30
Laborer, Unskilled.............$ 11.02 3.18
Painters:......................$ 14.30 6.31
Brush,Roller (excld. drywall finishing)
Plumber........................$ 14.69
Power equipment operators:
Rollers.....................$ 11.50
Roofer (including Built Up,
Composition and Single Ply)....$ 16.78 2.28






Now here is the NOLA area:

The few that are about $9 are:

Laborers:
Common......................$ 9.55 1.05
Mason Tender................$ 9.32 0.00

These are people who are learning their trade.




JEFFERSON, ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINES, ST. BERNARD, ST. CHARLES, ST.
JAMES, AND ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISHES:

Rates Fringes

Electrician (includes low
voltage wiring and
installation of fire alarms,
security systems, sound and
communication systems,
telephones, computers, and
temperature controls)..........$ 22.09 6.00
----------------------------------------------------------------
ELEC1077-003 03/01/2005

ST. TAMMANY PARISH:

Rates Fringes

Electrician (includes low
voltage wiring and
installation of fire alarms,
security systems, sound and
communication systems,
telephones, computers, and
temperature controls)..........$ 17.99 5.15
----------------------------------------------------------------
IRON0058-011 06/01/2004

JEFFERSON, ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINES, ST. BERNARD, ST. CHARLES, ST.
JAMES (Southeastern Portion), ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND ST.
TAMMANY PARISHES:

Rates Fringes

Ironworker, reinforcing and
structural.....................$ 18.05 5.52
----------------------------------------------------------------
IRON0623-007 06/01/2004

ST. JAMES PARISH (Northwestern Portion):

Rates Fringes

Ironworker, reinforcing and
structural.....................$ 18.05 5.22
----------------------------------------------------------------
* PAIN1244-001 04/01/2005

Rates Fringes

Glazier........................$ 16.62 4.67
Painter (includes brush;
roller; spray; and drywall
finishing).....................$ 14.88 4.32
----------------------------------------------------------------
PLUM0060-007 06/01/2004

JEFFERSON, ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINES, ST. BERNARD, ST. CHARLES, ST.
JAMES (Southeastern Portion), ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, AND ST.
TAMMANY PARISHES:

Rates Fringes

Pipefitter (excludes HVAC).....$ 21.55 5.70
Plumber (includes HVAC pipe
and installation of system)....$ 21.55 5.70
----------------------------------------------------------------
PLUM0198-007 01/01/2005

ST. JAMES PARISH (Northwestern Portion):

Rates Fringes

Pipefitter (excludes HVAC).....$ 18.54 6.98
Plumber (includes HVAC pipe
and installation of system)....$ 18.54 6.98
----------------------------------------------------------------
SFLA0669-003 01/01/2005

Rates Fringes

Sprinkler Fitter...............$ 22.87 9.00
----------------------------------------------------------------
SULA2004-003 03/25/2004

Rates Fringes

Carpenter
Drywall & Metal Stud
Installation................$ 14.00 0.70
Formbuilding/Formsetting....$ 12.70 0.56
All Other Work..............$ 13.68 0.00
Cement Mason/Concrete Finisher.$ 12.28 0.00
Laborers:
Common......................$ 9.55 1.05
Mason Tender................$ 9.32 0.00
Power Equipment Operator
Backhoe/Excavator...........$ 14.00 0.42
Bulldozer...................$ 15.17 0.00
Crane.......................$ 14.00 1.80
Roofer (including Built Up,
Composition and Single Ply)
(includes metal roof)..........$ 12.28 0.00
Sheet Metal Worker (excluding
HVAC duct).....................$ 13.26 1.91

 

[peachgirl]

Here's the website for those who want to check them. It's the entire state, just click on the county you're looking at.

http://www.gpo.gov/davisbacon/la.html

I stand corrected...a construction worker prevailing rate is $10.60 and they don't have to pay them that now. I would assume this site is more up to date than the one I looked at originally.

My original opinion stands...don't gripe about the poor if you don't want to pay them a decent wage.

 

[bsnyder]

The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SGR) announced today that it has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to aid in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. Shaw will provide supervision, equipment, materials, labor, logistics, and all means necessary to provide the Corps of Engineers an immediate response for construction contract capability.
The $100 million contract has a base period of one-year, with an additional one-year option. Shaw announced earlier today a $100 million ID/IQ contract award by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide support services in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, including housing assistance for displaced residents.

The Shaw Group's Jim Bernhard is the Louisiana's state Democratic party chairman.

Mike--Louisiana Resident

More on this:

On Saturday, CNN.com had a piece titled "Firms with White House ties get Katrina contracts:"

Companies with ties to the Bush White House and the former head of FEMA are clinching some of the administration's first disaster relief and reconstruction contracts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
At least two major corporate clients of lobbyist Joe Allbaugh, President Bush's former campaign manager and a former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, have already been tapped to start recovery work along the battered Gulf Coast.

One is Shaw Group Inc. and the other is Halliburton Co. subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root. Vice President Dick Cheney is a former head of Halliburton.

The Shaw Group, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate, is headed by Jim Bernhard, the current chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party. Bernhard worked tirelessly for Democrat Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco's runoff campaign and served as co-chair of her transition team. Another Shaw executive was Blanco's campaign manager.

UPI failed to note the connection to the Louisiana Democratic Party and Blanco.

So did the London Observer.

And Reuters/MSNBC. And the CBC.

And the NYTimes (reprinted in the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, the Scotsman, and scores of media outlets around the world


Ahhh, the pesky little details the mainstream media conveniently leaves out.

 

[mickeyfan2]

a construction worker prevailing rate is $10.60

10.60 * 40 * 52 = $22,048

This is not poverty level and more than a starting NOLA cop ($16,000 per the news the other day).

 

[peachgirl]

10.60 * 40 * 52 = $22,048

This is not poverty level and more than a starting NOLA cop ($16,000 per the news the other day).

Perhaps you can feed a family of 4 on 22k gross, but I doubt it.

It's about $3000 a year above poverty level for a family of 4. Considering the fact that construction work is not guaranteed 40 hrs a week and the fact that now they don't even have to pay that, I'd say it's pretty damn close to poverty level.

The fact that NO police are paid below poverty level wages is only further proof that people have no right to complain when they don't want to pay people decent wages.

 

[ThAnswr]

It perfectly fits into the picture: Bush, Cheney and their cronies don't leave out any opportunity to screw the country - and even find jerks applauding them for it

It's utterly amazing.

 

[ThAnswr]

More on this:

On Saturday, CNN.com had a piece titled "Firms with White House ties get Katrina contracts:"



The Shaw Group, a multi-billion-dollar conglomerate, is headed by Jim Bernhard, the current chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party. Bernhard worked tirelessly for Democrat Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco's runoff campaign and served as co-chair of her transition team. Another Shaw executive was Blanco's campaign manager.

UPI failed to note the connection to the Louisiana Democratic Party and Blanco.

So did the London Observer.

And Reuters/MSNBC. And the CBC.

And the NYTimes (reprinted in the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, the Scotsman, and scores of media outlets around the world


Ahhh, the pesky little details the mainstream media conveniently leaves out.

Oh my God, companies profiting from political connections.

You may choose A or B.

A) Whatta world, whatta world

B) I'm shocked, shocked I tell you

Let's throw C in there:

C) spare me the phony outrage.

 

[totalia]

Its amazing but doesn't shock me in the least.

Lets provide jobs. But only for those who work underneath the umbrella of the federal gvt. So, cut wages for federal employees, while private groups not affiliated with the White House get left out of those wages.

 

[Planogirl]

$22,000 isn't poverty level but certainly isn't great.

Where will these workers live? It would seem that housing would be in high demand in an area that has lost much of that housing. So commuting will likely be necessary just when gas has become so expensive.

Again, why would any common laborer go for these jobs particularly now that companies can pay less than the prevailing rates?

 

[peachgirl]

This is way too low.

No kidding....

 

[BuckNaked]

Its amazing but doesn't shock me in the least.

Lets provide jobs. But only for those who work underneath the umbrella of the federal gvt. So, cut wages for federal employees, while private groups not affiliated with the White House get left out of those wages.

I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that wages for federal employees are being cut...