Unions to Protest Wilson’s Proposal to Change Pay Rules

Labor leaders expect at least 10,000 union and nonunion construction workers to crowd downtown Los Angeles this morning to protest a proposal by Gov. Pete Wilson that they complain will drastically cut wages paid in state and city public works projects.

Labor officials say the state plan, if approved, would immediately reduce the mean pay for construction workers on such projects by more than 20%--a figure disputed by the Wilson administration. The plan would eliminate the “prevailing wage” rule for state contracts, which sets pay levels by finding the most common salary level for a particular skill within the area where a project is planned--usually the high end of union-negotiated rates.

The protest--which is expected to tie up traffic in the area--will take place as the California Department of Industrial Relations holds a hearing in the State Office Building downtown on the viability of Wilson’s proposal.

“This is a proposal that is just not acceptable for California,” said Richard Slawson, executive secretary of the Los Angeles and Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council. “We want to put the spotlight on what’s happening. . . . Working people are being attacked.”

California unions fear that Wilson’s policy will mean more competition from contractors from such states as Arizona and Nevada who would bring in lower-paid labor to compete with the state’s skilled work force. Construction workers on average earn $29,500, according to Slawson, alleging that amount could drop to $22,000, not enough to support a family, if the plan is implemented.

Administration officials said the change would save taxpayers about $200 million a year by modifying the prevailing wage formula to calculate an average of all wages commonly paid within a craft. Forty-seven states and the federal government already use that prevailing wage policy, they said.

This is the third such protest rally in the state. On Valentine’s Day, about 12,000 construction workers, steamfitters and cement masons marched on the state Capitol to protest the Wilson plan. Union leaders organized another march in San Francisco in November.

Police are advising anyone driving downtown today to expect heavy delays and traffic. Hill Street, Broadway and Spring Street--between Temple and 2nd streets--will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 5 to 11 a.m. Bus routes and schedules also will be modified.

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Labor Protest

A demonstration by construction workers is planned this morning around the state building in downtown Los Angeles. Hill and Spring streets and Broadway between Temple and 2nd streets will be closed from 5 to 11 a.m. Public bus routes and schedules will also be altered.