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Prevailing wage rule restored

BY J. JIONI PALMER | WASHINGTON BUREAU

October 27, 2005

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration yesterday announced plans to reinstate a rule requiring government contractors working in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina to pay employees a prevailing wage.

"The waiver was to ensure aid, reconstruction and relief could be sped to those affected by the hurricane as quickly as possible," said White House spokesman Trent Duffy.

"We're confident those are no longer concerns as of Nov. 8" when the waiver will be lifted, he said.

The initial decision to rescind the 1931 Davis-Bacon Act, enacted to regulate wages on federal projects, was roundly decried by most Democrats, unions and labor-friendly Republicans - among them Homeland Security Chairman Peter King (R-Seaford) and Rep. Vito Fossella (R-S.I.).

"It looked like we were needlessly antagonizing and picking a fight with labor," said King, who was among about a dozen GOP lawmakers told by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card that the administration was reversing course.