Paying a prevailing wage is critical to protecting economic opportunity and growing local economies in tough times.

A prevailing wage improves community business development and it improves the lives of working families.

You may have heard the state legislature’s budget-writing committee has included prevailing wage protections in the budget. The Joint Finance Committee's recommended budget still has to pass the Assembly and Senate. It's critical for working families and the economy the prevailing wage measure remains in the budget.

You can be sure powerful special interests will be lobbying hard to block prevailing wage from becoming law.

We have to show our state leaders we support the prevailing wage and will stand up to make sure it becomes law.

The Assembly plans to start the budget debate Thursday June 11. Sign on to the message below and we will hand-deliver the message with your name to your Representative Thursday morning before the budget session begins. Your voice could be one of the last things your representative hears before the vote on prevailing wage.

Speak out today and join Wisconsinites from across the state and stand with working families in support of the prevailing wage. We'll make sure your leaders get the message.

Members of the State Legislature

Prevailing wage is critical to protecting economic opportunity, growing local economies and safeguarding working families, particularly in tough economic times.

The state budget includes prevailing wage protections and I am urging you to support this provision and support its passage.

• Prevailing wage helps ensure quality construction and safety by guaranteeing qualified and experienced workers are hired.
• Prevailing wage does not drive up project costs. Rather open competition allows the best value for businesses and local economies.
• A fair threshold for prevailing wage improves Wisconsin’s competitiveness by putting the state inline with our neighbors.
• Improved reporting through prevailing wage will reduce wage and law violations by cut-rate employers.
• Prevailing wage boosts local economies by ensuring work is done by more local contractors.
• Prevailing wage will make certain federal stimulus dollars get the biggest bang for their buck.

By having prevailing wage law cover publicly-financed projects at a fair threshold, we increase accountability, improve local economies and invest in working families.

I hope you'll do the right thing for Wisconsin's working families and support the prevailing wage provision in the state’s biennial budget.

Thanks.