INDIANA COMMON CONSTRUCTION WAGE LAW

 

COMMON CONTRUCTION WAGE IN INDIANA

 

The Common Construction Wage Law allows local communities to determine the

wages to be paid on public works construction projects in their area. These wages are established by a five-person committee comprised of taxpayers, industry experts and the agency building the project. The committee determines the wages to be paid on these projects based on the wages construction workers have been paid in that county in the past.

 

• FACT: Over 4000 Indiana Contractors support Common Construction Wage

• FACT: Indiana-Specific studies show that CCW increased the Indiana economy    

   by $700 million. Workers   on these projects contribute $21 million in taxes and

   jobs stay local.

• FACT: NO study that looks at the final costs of a project shows that CCW

   increases overall project costs -- paying for skill increases productivity and 

   reduces waste and errors.

 

COMMON CONSTRUCTION WAGE IS A BUSINESS-DRIVEN POLICY

 

• CCW is not a LABOR issue. It is a BUSINESS issue impacting contractors.

• CCW was originally passed by the legislature at the request of local contractors

   who were being undercut by out-of-state contractors bringing in low-wage, low

  -skilled workers from outside the community.

• These out-of-state contractors would then leave when the project was 

   completed – taking local jobs and local spending with them.

• CCW provides protection of taxpayer dollars to local communities and

   businesses.

• Having a local, high-skilled workforce for projects is a critical aspect of finishing

  projects on time and on budget. It’s much more effective to have a pool of 

  high skilled workers who do the job right the first time than to pay lower wages

  or workers who don’t have the right skills and can’t do the job at hand

 

WHAT DOES REPEAL MEAN?

 

The Indiana House of Representatives is considering a bill to repeal the 80-yearold

Indiana Common Construction Wage Law. The law was originally an initiative to

keep out-of-state contractors with lower-skilled workers coming to Indiana and

undercutting local contractors on state-funded construction projects. Today, the law has become a political hotbed between the state legislature and labor. However, the repeal of the Common Construction Wage law is a BUSINESS issue that would negatively impact thousands of construction businesses, as well as local communities, throughout Indiana.