A group of unions plans to file an emergency motion this morning with the Michigan Supreme Court. The construction worker unions want to block a state elections board from sending a question to the Legislature to outlaw state and local prevailing wage rules. The prevailing wage requires builders to pay workers union-level wages on taxpayer funded projects.
“This is about good-paying jobs, and the Michigan prevailing wage law protects that," said Patrick Devlin with the building trade unions. He says if the question is sent to the Legislature and adopted, the union would pursue its own petition drive to restore the prevailing wage.
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled on Friday that the question should go to the Legislature. That’s despite the fact that many petition circulators listed false residential addresses.
“We believe we have provided the documentation that the circulators have committed fraud and they should be held accountable," Devlin said.
