Contractors working on some Montgomery County construction projects could be forced to pay their workers more if County Council members pass a prevailing wage law similar to those already in place in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City.
Bill proponents say the measure would guarantee workers are paid a decent wage and that the county gets higher-quality work done by skilled workers, rather than less-skilled, cheaper ones. Opponents argue it will drive up costs for businesses and the county’s construction projects, hitting both with big bills during difficult economic times.
Kenneth Grunley, president and owner of Rockville-based Grunley Construction, lobbied council members this week to support the bill, telling them at a July public hearing it would “create a level field” in the local construction industry.
“It requires companies to compete for bids on the basis of productivity and quality of work, not on the basis of how little they can get away with paying their employees,” Grunley said.
Jerry Shapiro, president of mechanical contracting company Shapiro & Duncan and a 48-year resident of Montgomery County, testified against the bill.
Shapiro estimates the prevailing wage bill would add 28 percent to his labor costs and result in contracts that cost the county. He says the measure could have him paying 21-year-old plumbers with four years of apprentice experience the same as plumbers with 20 years on the job.
“I should be for this,” Shapiro said, “because if this law passes I’ll be charging the county more to do the same work. I’m a taxpayer though, so I’ll get hit with those costs one way or the another, to pay for these more expensive projects.”
David Dise, director of Montgomery’s Department of General Services, told council members the county does not collect information on wages paid by its contractors and subcontractors so it cannot compare current wage rates with prevailing wage rates set by the state.
The bill, authored by former union organizer Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, would only apply to construction contracts worth $500,000 or more, awarded by the county or partially supported by economic development funds.
Council Members George Leventhal, Duchy Trachtenberg, Nancy Floreen, Marc Elrich and Roger Berliner have signed on to co-sponsor the measure.
