(For those of you who don't know yet, Dennis Moore is my hero.)


http://www.ksdp.org/?q=node/view/1457
September 22, 2005


Congressman Dennis Moore Supports Bill to Protect Fair Wages for Hurricane Victims

Congressmen Ryun and Tiahrt Favor Legislation to Cut Wages for Workers

(WASHINGTON, DC) - Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District – Overland Park) co-sponsored legislation today that would undo President Bush's proclamation that cuts wages for working men and women involved in the reconstruction of areas damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and its subsequent flooding.

"It is important that the working men and women involved in reconstruction of the Gulf Coast are paid a living wage under federal law in order to help rebuild both their communities and their lives," Moore said. "In this time of national tragedy, we should do all that we can to help those in desperate need, not hurt their pocketbooks even further."

Republican Congressmen Jim Ryun (Second District – Topeka) and Todd Tiahrt (Fourth District – Wichita) signed a letter advising the President to suspend the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal contractors to pay employees a prevailing wage, or the typical wage for their job function in the local area. Click here to view this letter.

President Bush's proclamation suspended these wage standards indefinitely for the parts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi affected by Katrina. H.R. 3763, the Fair Wages for Hurricane Victims Act, would overturn the President's proclamation.

"If America really wants to help Gulf Coast workers and their families recover from this disaster, then passing this legislation is one of the most important actions we can take," Moore said.

The table below includes samples of prevailing wages for specific job functions in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi as determined by the Department of Labor.

Alabama______________________Louisiana_______________Mississippi
Concrete finisher $10.07________Mason tender $7.00______Cement Mason $8.33
Pipelayer $8.21_________________Pipelayer $9.84_________Pipelayer $7.45
Carpenter $11.18________________Carpenter $13.75________Carpenter $8.67
Truck driver $8.54______________Truck driver $11.01_____Truck driver $6.14

These prevailing wages are modest by anyone's standards. A carpenter in Louisiana working 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year at the prevailing wage of $13.75 would earn $27,500 annually.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a single parent raising a single child in New Orleans needs $27,192 in annual income just to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and transportation to school and work. EPI notes that this "basic family budget" is not enough to afford many items average Americans take for granted – including renters' insurance to guard against flood or fire.
(prevailing wage data courtesy of Wichita/Hutchinson Labor