ABC pans move to raise federal construction wages
The Associated Builders and Contractors were not impressed with President Barack Obama’s move to raise the minimum wage on federal construction projects from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour.
"ABC has long held that the market should determine wages in the construction industry, not artificial government interference,” said ABC Vice President of Government Affairs Geoff Burr. “The president is once again demonstrating that he doesn't understand how our economy works. This executive order will have little to no impact on our federal contractor members, who already pay higher wages than the president’s proposal. This seems to be nothing more than a misleading, political maneuver."
The president said he would make the change through executive order. Only Congress can raise the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage for nongovernment workers. It was last increased in 2009.
In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, Obama called on Congress to “Give America a raise.”
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