A union-led petition drive is launching today to protect the state’s prevailing wage law from a different petition drive. This could lead to dueling ballot questions next November.
The skilled trade unions are trying to make sure contractors continue to pay union-level wages on state-funded construction projects. A petition drive to ban prevailing wage turned in its signatures last month to put the question to the Legislature. Republican leaders say they’re ready to vote to ban prevailing wage early next year.
Pat Devlin of the Michigan Building Trades union says he hopes both questions will go to voters.
“Just let this thing go to the ballot, and let the people vote on it.”
The petition campaign would have to collect more than 250,000 signatures to get its initiative in front of the Legislature or on the ballot.
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— Rick Pluta is the Managing Editor and Reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
