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Home My WebLink AboutSubmittal-Cynthia Hernandez-Coalition for Responsible Wages Press ReleaseI • Afd COALITION FO S NSIBLE WAGES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, February 26, 2015 CONTACT: Cynthia Hernandez, Coalition for Responsible Wages, chern032@fiu.edu or 786-301-6665. City of Miami's "Responsible Wage Ordinance": Vote Yes for Miami's Working Fare Miami, FL: The City of Miami Commissioners has an opportunity to lead by example by approving the Procurement, which will be voted on today at City Hall, at 4pm. Miami -Dade County passed the same ordinance in 1990. As it is written, The City of Miami Procurement Ordinance promotes: 1) efficiency; 2) ethics; 3) transparency; and 4) accountability through responsible contracting of municipal projects. The Procurement Ordinance or known as the Responsible Wage Ordinance, is an important step forward to help the local economy grow by ensuring that responsible contractors pay responsible wages. Because when workers are not paid a responsible wage, they often rely on public assistance such as food stamps, Medicaid, and cash assistance — resulting in taxpayers subsidizing irresponsible contractors. However, through Responsible Wages the City of Miami promotes responsible contracting and good corporate citizenship, which ultimately reduces local unemployment by providing living wages and essential benefits to Miami residents and their families. Responsible Wages serves the interest of the public health and safety of contractors and their employees by supporting local certified and registered apprenticeship programs that provide career opportunities, serving as an escalator to the middle class. Having a highly skilled, local trained workforce reduces workplace injuries and fatalities, which also increases the economic well-being of the community as a whole. In the long term, paying responsible wages attracts quality experienced workers who deliver high -quality work on time and on budget. The Responsible Wage Ordinance will ensure economic development through responsible wages, which create a stronger and more fairly distributed tax base, helping policy makers balance budgets without tax increases, thus creating the best deal for taxpayers. In fact, studies show that every dollar spent on responsible wage project generates $1.50 in economic activity — that's money spent at local businesses such as restaurants, shopping malls, and grocery stores — spurring additional job creation that keeps local communities and businesses economically sound. In the end, supporting the Ordinance means that you are prioritizing Miami's economy and working families by creating a more sustainable economic model that keeps our economy and community moving forward. "Having worked in the construction industry for over 35 years I have seen the abuses of crooked contractors cheating employees and their families out of well-earned wages and benefits. This ordinance will assure tax payer money goes to qualified responsible contractors by extending the 25 yr. old Miami Dade County Ordinance to City of Miami Capital Improvement Projects," said Mark Schaunaman, of the international Union of Operating Engineers Local 487. CD cDi 0 w 15- on(35-J4)1/10-1-60- cr+- G He{noncle- (OGIih► ) FUN( rOpPWe. 'i VAS ►PIe Ike -atSt. The Association of Builders and Contractors argue that small businesses and contractors will be negatively impacted as a result of added wage and compliance requirements. However, the data from the County's ordinance shows, that ABC members were awarded nearly $40 million dollars in taxpayers' money to work on projects in Miami -Dade County from January 2013-December 2014, just shy of two years. Having a Responsible Wage Ordinance in place will ensure that workers are paid correctly and avoid wage violations because contractors will have to submit their payroll information. "In an industry where wage theft and misclassification of employees as independent contractors is prevalent, having a Responsible Wage Ordinance in place will ensure that workers are paid correctly and avoid wage disputes between the city," said Cynthia Hernandez, FIU researcher who has been studying construction wage theft violations in Florida, since 2007. The Responsible Wage Coalition is a diverse coalition of: faith, labor and community groups, elected officials, university researchers and concerned members of the community —who believe that Miami's Working Families should be our elected officials' priority and that passing the Responsible Wage Ordinance is the right thing to do. (Responsible Wage Coalition Member List) Hon. Christopher Smith, Florida Senate, District 31 Hon. Gwen Margolis, Florida Senate, District 35 Hon. Oscar Braynon, II, Florida Senate, District 36 Hon. Dwight Bullard, Florida Senate, District 39 Hon. Bruce Antone, Florida House of Representatives, District 46 Hon. Victor Torres, Jr., Florida House of Representatives, District 48 Hon. Darryl Rouson, Florida House of Representatives, District 70 Hon. Evan Jenne, Florida House of Representatives, District 99 Hon. Joseph Geller, Florida House of Representatives, District 100 Hon. Jose Javier Rodriguez, Florida House of Representatives, District 112 Hon. Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Dade County Commissioner, District South Florida AFL-CIO South Florida Building Trades South Florida Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (SF-LCLAA) The International Association of Fire Fighters Local Union 587 The Research Institute on Social and Economic Policy Miami Workers Center Catalyst Miami Florida Immigrant Coalition South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice South Florida Voices for Working Families Restaurant Opportunities Center for Miami Florida New Majority National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health SEIU Florida SEIU Local 1991 1199SEIU Dade County Police Benevolent Association Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Pipefitting Education Center INTO THE R!AlL1 RECORD FOR 3 ONaZ-dois. Miami Joint Electrical Apprenticeship and Training Committee National Elevator Industry Educational Program Lu.71 Insulation Workers Joint Apprenticeship Committee Lu.60 South Florida Ironworkers Lu.272 Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee South Florida Operating Engineers Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee Florida Finishing Trades Institute Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee Plumbers Lu.519 Education Center Sheet Metal Lu.32 Joint Apprenticeship Committee South Florida Trowel Trades JAC International Union of Operating Engineers Southeast Laborers' District Council LIUNA Local 1652 Insulators Local 60 Bricklayers & Allied Craftsman Local 1 Elevator Constructors Local 71 Operating Engineers Local 487 IUPAT District Council 78 Pipefitters Local 725 OPCMIA United Tradesman Local 930 Plumbers Local 519 Roofers Local 6 Sheet Metal Workers Local 32 AFSCME Local 199 AFSCME Local 1542 AFSCME Local 3293 AFGE Local 515 TWU Local 291 UNITEHERE Local 355 CWA Local 3122 Sprinkler Fitters Local 821 Teamsters Local 769 IBEW Local 349 1BEW Local 728 Iron Workers Local 272 Construction and Craft Workers Local 1652 Millwrights Local 1000 Carpenters Local 1809 • SUBMIn INTO THE PUBUC RECORD FOR. � E Oil a o.(o.?oL n 1 ABC Members Awarded Miami Dade County Projects (Janl, 2013-Dec 31, 2014) Start Date Business Name Paid 5-Feb Solares $ 136,000.00 3/5/2013 Right Way Painting $ 55,715.00 4/10/2013 Abc Construction $ 10,900.00 8/8/2013 Abc Construction $ 2,845,000.00. 8/8/2013 People's Plumbing $ 395,475.00 1/24/2013 People's Plumbing $ 14,500.00 12/3/2013 Dato Electric $ 45,000.00 2/24/2014 Reyes Electric $ 180,000.00 2/24/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 180,000.00 2/24/2014 Reyes Electric $ 200,000.00 5/9/2013 A & P Air Conditioning 3/15/2013 Advanced Control Corp 6/19/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 50,325.00 6/19/2014 Poole & Kent Comp of FL $ 169,760.00 Advanced Roofing $ 177,089.50 4/20/2013 Tasv Enterprises $ 2,954,315.42 10/11/2013 Abc Construction $ 10,482,409.00 7/16/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 155,359.60 5/30/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 293,029.30 10/7/2013 Right Way Painting $ 6,437.40 3/22/2013 Larrabee Air Conditioning $ 229,649.77 3/22/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 376,316.85 1/3/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 1,272,730.27 4/1/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 92,353.62 8/13/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 194,157.00 4/15/2014 People's Plumbing $ 55,659.36 4/15/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 136,420.00 8/14/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 1,476,595.00 7/25/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 103,191.17 Davco Contracting 1/13/2014 Solares Electrical Services 2/13/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 2,402,221.59 6/28/2013 People's Plumbing $ 4,925.70 10/8/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 170,831.00 10/11/2013 Tgsy Enterprises $ 315,488.63 3/7/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 665,642.40 2/21/2013 Corp Dba Gonzalez Pavement $ 480,398.18 6/28/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 49,884.99 9/10/2014 Corp Dba Gonzalez Pavement $ • 769,241.49 10/17/2013 Plumbers Enterprise $ 317,941.16 6/11/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 212,440.00 2/13/2014 People's Plumbing $ 25,284.48 7/26/2013 Solares Electrical Services $ 549,270.00 11/17/2014 Solares Electrical Services $ 107,082.50 4/17/2014 Poole & Kent Comp of FL $ 2,906,306.00 LL cs 0 Lii !2 ~ 7/I4/2013 Florida Service Painting, DBA $ 404000.00 5/13/2014 So|ansElectrical Services $ 795,800.00 6/27/2013 Poole & Kent Comp ufFL $ 1'158'22375 4/2/2013 Poole & Kent Comp ofFL $ 4'396886.97 Total $ 38'020'25710 `- -�ECORD MR