The measure aims to restore an old definition of the “prevailing wage,” scrapped by President Ronald Reagan, that the Biden administration says would change pay standards on federal construction projects. Under the new rule, employers would be required to pay construction workers the equivalent of wages made by at least 30 percent of workers in a given trade and locality. The new rule, which updates the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act, is intended to ensure that labor unions are at the forefront of the projects resulting from the federal spending blitz. “Many workers are paid much less than they deserve, much less than the value of their work. And not just by a little,” Harris said Tuesday. “I’m here today to announce that we are updating this law and giving workers across the nation a raise.” North America’s Building Trades Unions has commended the administration’s efforts, as has the United Association, which represents plumbers and welders, among others.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/08/08/biden-davis-bacon-union-rules/