Issue: Should State Force Cities to Pay Union Wages on Projects?

Santee, Carlsbad and Oceanside are among seven charter cities in San Diego County that would have to pay “prevailing wages” for public works jobs under legislation moving through Sacramento.

Senate Bill 7, which requires such cities to pay the equivalent of union-scale wages, has a penalty attached for not doing so: No state construction funds. 

As U-T San Diego reported Monday: “Critics of prevailing wage requirements argue they drive up costs to taxpayers by as much as 30 percent at a time of scarce public dollars. They add the state legislation would violate the sovereignty of charter cities.”

The U-T continued:

“The bill’s supporters say there is an overriding state interest in ensuring that public projects — no matter the source of funding — should pay a ‘living wage’ that attracts the best-skilled local workers, saving taxpayers costs in the long run.”

Should cities pay prevailing wages for public-works projects as a way of assuring the best work is done and to boost the local economy?  Or is Sacramento butting into city governance at the expense of  taxpayers? Share your thoughts in the comments.