Skilled Union Labor Rules Assure Quality Construction

As elected officials in Wisconsin, we have seen firsthand the pain that poorly executed construction can inflict on our communities. Since the state legislature did away with Prevailing Wage Laws and Project Labor Agreements, the quality of public works projects in Wisconsin has run from excellent to extremely poor. While these laws were targeted because they primarily required unionized workers to perform the work, they also set the standards for the worksmanship. One of the reasons that Wisconsin construction has withstood our harsh climate is because we have historically used primarily unionized building trades workers on most projects. Skilled workers, using high quality materials and proper construction methods, means that projects last longer and are safer.

The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by the House and Senate last year was a huge step forward for our country. As we make repairs and upgrades, we must demand that the work be performed by skilled trades workers. When the work isn’t done right to begin with, or when we don’t take the time and money to care for what we have, eventually someone has to foot the bill, and it’s always the taxpayers.

Our crumbling infrastructure is one of the most significant problems facing the United States. The legislation reauthorizes surface transportation programs for five years and invests $110 billion in additional funding to repair our roads and bridges and support major, transformational projects. The bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the single largest investment in repairing and reconstructing our nation’s bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system. It will rebuild the most economically significant bridges in the country, as well as thousands of smaller bridges, while sourcing workers locally and training future building and construction trades workers.

Implementation of this bill incentivizes the usage of high quality Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Programs that teach the production of efficient well-constructed assets. These standards ensure that the job is done right by a qualified workforce so that the American taxpayer will not pay repeatedly to fix or rebuild an inferior job.

One example of past failures is found in our corroding bridges. In cold climates like Wisconsin, we use a lot of salt in the winter. While salt is the best way to keep drivers safe, salt can also corrode bridges. Degradation of bridge infrastructure is often the result of: a lack of corrosion prevention initiatives; simple mistakes made during the construction process; and delayed maintenance. Policy should set a tone that best practices, quality work by certified corrosion specialists, and proactive management are required, so we can ensure careless oversights no longer happen.

Ultimately, insisting that these kinds of standards and processes are approved ensures public well-being and saves taxpayer dollars. We know that subpar standards and requirements were a mistake in the past. Now, the future of America’s infrastructure and “rebuilding the right way” means advocating that the best possible methods are used for federal and federally-funded projects by putting best practices at the forefront of that conversation. The return of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) is one of the most significant ways we can ensure high quality public works projects in Wisconsin. PLAs allow government bodies to negotiate standards before construction ever begins and require that skilled Wisconsin workers are performing the work.

Bryan Kennedy, Ph.D., is Mayor of Glendale and Andy Buck is a Winnebago County Supervisor. Andy is Director of Government Affairs with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 7, and Bryan is a longtime member of American Federation of Teachers, Local 3535.