Rep. lawmakers pen bill that critics say would harm unions, local governments

Supporters say opening bidding on local projects will protect taxpayers who pay for them.

The hits just keep on coming for unions in Wisconsin. 

The latest shot at labor organizations in the state comes in the form of a bill penned by Republican lawmakers that critics say would not only harm unions but limit choices of local governments for bidding out public projects.

Not true, says John Mielke with the Associated Builders and Contractors business group.

“This bill does one thing and one thing only – and it’s important,” he said during Tuesday’s hearing. “The bill prohibits government-mandated, union-only project labor agreements.”

Stephanie Bloomingdale, from the AFL-CIO said that the proposal simply limits local control.

“This is about taking away an important tool from local government to determine the future of their own communities,” she said.

Mielke believes those union-only labor agreements prevent qualified non-union contractors from bidding on publicly funded projects.

“When it comes to government spending, taxpayer dollars, I think it’s fundamentally unfair to require 85 percent of the construction workers, who aren’t union, to pay the tax to build a project, but to preclude them from an opportunity to working on it.”

One of the largest, recently, is the new $500 million Milwaukee Bucks stadium for which taxpayers are paying half of the cost.  

“When local workers are hired to do a job in their own community, they have value, not only in the wages that they earn, but also in the pride of making that project,” Mielke said.

Supporters say opening bidding up on local projects to more contractors will protect taxpayers who are footing the bill for the projects.