'Prevailing wage' fails to prevail
A labor measure in the Iowa legislature failed Monday by just one vote. Although they control the house in Iowa, Democrats were only able to secure 50 votes for the initiative, indicating that some party members didn't back it. The bill would have required contractors to pay the prevailing wage on public projects in order to prevent businesses that hire cheap labor from winning bids over businesses that pay respectable wages and benefits. House Democrats even held extra sessions to push the legislation, but couldn't change a single mind after 67 hours. Majority leader Keven McCarthy then changed his final vote to ?no? so that he could seek reconsideration later on. However, Republics have expressed intense opposition to labor initiatives ? choosing instead to focus on budget concerns and flood recovery issues. This stance has Democrats worried over the viability of planned future pro-labor proposals.
See "'Prevailing wage' fails to prevail", Des Moines Register, February 23, 2009