Media Contact: Doug Gordon (202) 494-5141 |doug@dsgstrategies.com

Report Finds That As Hundreds Of Thousands Of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Enter Work Force, Prevailing Wage Greatly Improves Economic Outcomes For Veterans

 

A first-of-its-kind study released on May 10, 2016 finds that prevailing wage greatly improves economic outcomes for veterans and that growing attacks on prevailing wage at the state level will disproportionally hurt the hundreds of thousands post-9/11 veterans who are returning to the workforce.

Exploring of the economic impact of state prevailing wage laws on veterans in the construction industry, the study was commissioned by VoteVets, the largest progressive group of veterans in America. The study was conducted by Frank Manzo IV of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor Robert Bruno, and Colorado State University-Pueblo Economist, Dr. Kevin Duncan.

“The data clearly shows that veterans work in the skilled construction trades at significantly higher rates than non-veterans,” said Manzo. “The difference is even more pronounced in states with average or strong prevailing wage policies–so any changes in these laws will have an outsized impact on those who have served in the military.”

Click Here to Download the Full Report.

Click Here to Download a Summary of the Report.

With construction now the second-fastest growing industry in America, the military is helping active duty service personnel prepare for civilian careers through the US Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP)—which now accounts for almost 22% of all registered apprenticeships in the country.

The study found that prevailing wage laws not only encourage more veterans to put these skills to work in their communities, but that they pull thousands of veterans out of poverty each year in the process.

Utilizing industry standard economic modeling, it also found that if each of the states with average or strong prevailing wage laws enacted repeals, 24,000 veterans would lose their health insurance, another 65,000 would leave the construction workforce, veteran construction workers would see their incomes drop by $3.1 billion per year, and nearly 8,000 veteran owned construction businesses would shut their doors.

With prevailing wage laws coming under attack in at least 11 states over the past two years, VoteVets has announced that it will be begin airing ads to educate the public about the importance of these standards, and hold lawmakers accountable.  The campaign will begin in Illinois, where Governor Bruce Rauner had proposed repeal at the local level as part of his “Turnaround Agenda.”

“It is appalling to see so many politicians who profess to ‘support veterans’ actively fighting to cut their wages,” said VoteVets Chairman Jon Soltz. “Prevailing wage laws help more veterans translate battlefield skills into middle class careers in their communities.  With too many post 9/11 veterans struggling to find work, we need to be strengthening these laws, not weakening them.”

The Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) Program provides patient-focused training for Carpenters and other trades working in hospitals, medical facilities or other occupied spaces. Workers who attend the training learn about containing pathogens, controlling airflow and recognizing and properly disposing of hazardous materials. By learning how to keep hospital construction sites safe and infection-free, attendees gain skills that set them apart from the rest of the field.

We are proud to work with other trades to ensure safety across all spectrums of hospital construction and appreciate their ongoing commitment to patient and staff safety. The dedication of other crafts to excellence in healthcare construction is demonstrated by sending 3,467 of their members through the ICRA 8-Hour Awareness Training.

• Sprinkler Fitters
• Cement Finishers
• Roofers
• Insulators 
• Sheet Metal
• Plumbers and Pipefitters
• Electricians 

Do you want to ensure infection control best practices are used by construction workers in upcoming renovation or construction projects at your healthcare facility? Contact Brad Murphy at 317-605-1386 or bmurphy@ikorcc.com for a list of contractors in your area that use ICRA-trained staff.

Construction ICRA Best Practices is an innovative program that provides patient-focused training for Carpenters and other trades working in hospitals, medical facilities or other occupied spaces. This set of best practices helps prevent the spread of disease and infection during construction at healthcare facilities. ICRA instructors also offer training opportunities to healthcare facility staff.

 

Congratulations to our 40 2016 scholarship recipients! Each student received a $1,000 scholarship toward tuition, room and board, or books.

Twenty of the scholarships were awarded on high school grade point average (60%) and SAT or ACT scores (40%). The other twenty were selected by random in a drawing. This year’s applicants were evaluated by a team of college administrates at the Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Recipients are sons, daughters, and dependent children of members of the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights. The parent or guardian must be a member in good standing of IKORCC for at least one year. The son, daughter, or dependent child must be a high school graduating senior or be attending a college, university or trade school as a full-time student. 

Morgan Thornsberry	Hunter Johnson
Shelby Robinson	Mia Baker
Bryan Moore	Amber Horn
Adam Sanderson	Josephine Rogers
Abigail Fletcher	Brandon Zink
Nash Crosby	Gregory Fitzpatrick
Tonianne Carpenter	Cameron Harris
Jade Harris	Mason Moore
Chase English	Jacob Tobar
Marie Speer	Matthew Randolph
Cassandra Jarus	Madison Powell
Abigail Brown	Gage Courvelle
Nathaly Diaz	Isabelle Hoyt
Caelin McManis	Jake Mish
Zachery Hignite	James Powers
Chance Allen	Devon Glaser
Jamie Helton	Keely Springman
Brian Baran	Gabrielle Szoradi
Lindsey Patterson	Anna Mitchell
Lauren Grande	Tanner Straneva

To apply for a 2017 scholarship, click here.