Whitmer reinstates ‘prevailing wage’ in move that draws GOP opposition: What it means – By Paul Egan (Detroit Free Press) / Oct 7 2021
LANSING – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered Thursday that contractors on state projects pay union rates for state construction projects, in a move that would override the Republican-controlled Legislature’s 2018 repeal of Michigan’s “prevailing wage” law.
“By reinstating prevailing wage, we are ensuring that working people get treated with dignity and respect, which starts with a fair wage,” Whitmer said in a news release timed to coincide with a Lansing event in which she was joined by area union leaders.
The move drew swift opposition from Republicans and a promised legal challenge from the Lansing-based Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan, which represents many nonunion contractors and strongly opposes the requirement.
Whitmer issued an executive directive and cited the state’s authority under the Management and Budget Act.
