Terence M. O'Sullivan on the Reinstatement of Davis-Bacon in the Gulf Coast

The following is a statement of Terence M. O'Sullivan, General President of the Laborers' International Union on the Reinstatement of Davis-Bacon in the Gulf Coast:

For struggling Gulf Coast families and communities, this is sorely needed good news.

The family-supporting provisions of Davis-Bacon have long enjoyed the support of a strong bipartisan majority in Congress. That is because Davis- Bacon helps ensure that taxpayer-funded construction projects support community economic standards rather than drive them down, because it gives taxpayers their money's worth by discouraging unscrupulous contractors, and because it provides stability in the construction industry.

Laborers, who are doing much of the rebuilding work in hurricane-affected areas, appreciate the bipartisan effort in Congress over the last several weeks to restore Davis-Bacon. Particularly appreciated are the leadership efforts of Republican Congressmen Steven LaTourette of Ohio and Frank LoBiondo of New Jersey and we thank them for their support and the support of their colleagues. We wish to express our appreciation to Democratic Congressman George Miller of California for his leadership and thank him and all of his Democratic colleagues for their support. We also want to acknowledge the efforts of Senator Edward Kennedy and his colleagues for their assistance in resolving this issue.

The same bipartisan spirit that led to the reinstatement of Davis-Bacon can and should be harnessed to push forward the adoption of responsible contracting policies at the federal and local levels to further ensure that rebuilding is done by honest, qualified and safety-conscious contractors who pay and treat workers fairly.

Source: Laborers' International Union; Web site: http://www.liuna.org/