Research Studies

If you would like to receive a hard copy of any of the following studies, please send us an email at info@lecet.org.

• Apprenticeship
• Living Wage
• Health Care
• Prevailing Wage Law
• Project Labor Agreement
• Labor Law

Apprenticeship Studies

• Construction Apprenticeship and Training in Pennsylvania, by David Bradley and Steven Herzenberg, 2002.
• Apprenticeship Training in the U.S. Construction Industry, by Cihan Bilginsoy, University of Utah, September, 1998.

Living Wage Studies

• Living Wages and Economic Performance: The San Francisco Model, by Michael Reich, Peter Hall, and Ken Jacobs, March 2003.
• The Living Wage Movement: Pointing the Way Toward the High Road, by Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute 2003.
• The Forgotten Workforce: More than One in Ten Federal Workers Earn Less Than a Living Wage, by Chauna Brocht, Economic Policy Institute, 2003.
• Montgomery County Stands to Benefit from a Living Wage, by Jared Bernstein and Chauna Brocht, Economic Policy Institute, 2003.
• The Impact of Living Wage Ordinances on the Public Contracting Process, by Jared Bernstein, Economic Policy Institute 2003.
• Impact of Detroit's Living Wage Law on Non-Profit Organizations, by David Reynolds and Jean Vortkamp, College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs, 2000.
• Choosing the High Road, by Karen Kraut, Scott Klinger and Chuck Collins, 2000.
• The Impact of Detroit's Living Wage Ordinance, by David Reynolds, Rachel Pearson and Jean Vortkampf, Wayne State University 1999.
• The Effects of the Living Wage in Baltimore, by Christopher Niedt, Greg Ruiters, Dana Wise and Erica Schoenberger, Working Pages, 1999.

Health Care Studies

• Health Care Subsidies in Construction: Does the Public Sector Subsidize Low Wage Contractors? by C. Jeffrey Waddoups, 2004.  The cost shift in construction. Employers providing no health insurance increase costs to union health plans and shift costs to state and local governments.

Prevailing Wage Law Studies

The following studies and papers are provided to refute the claims of prevailing wage opponents. The studies prove that higher construction wages do not lead to higher construction costs. 

• Prevailing Wages and Government Constracting Costs A review of the research by Nooshin Mahalia of the Economic Policy Institute (2008)
• Analysis of Kentucky Governor's Study: "The Impact of Prevailing Wage Laws on Labor Costs for Capital Construction Projects"  prepared for NAFC by the Construction Labor Research Council
• Wages, Productivity and Highway Construction Costs, Think Davis-Bacon costs more? Think Again! According to this updated study by the Construction Labor Research Council,  it costs more to build a mile of highway in "low wage" states than in "high wage" states with a differential of $11.00 per hour. Prepared by the Construction Labor Research Council, 2004.
• The Adverse Economic Impact from Repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law in Missouri, by M. Kelsay, R. Wray and K. Pinkham, University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2004.
  • Power Point Presentation
• In defense of Prevailing Wage Laws: Studies and Reports by the Experts A compilation of resources and websites to assist Fair Contracting groups and other who are interested in leveling the playing field to ensure compliance with procurement laws and regulations.
• Prevailing Wage: A performance Audit by the PA Department of Labor, 2002.
• Four Biases and a Funeral, by Peter Phillips, University of Utah, 2001.
• Report on the Prevailing Wage Law of Nevada, Its History, Cost and Effects, by Peter Philips, Ph.D, Professor of Economics, University of Utah. This report provides a history of prevailing wage laws with a special reference to Nevada, the cost of public school construction and information training and productivity.
• A Comparison of Public School Construction Costs In Three Midwestern States that Have Changed Their Prevailing Wage Laws in the 1990’s, by Peter Philips, University of Utah, 2001.
• Prevailing Wage Regulations and School Constructions Costs: Evidence From British Columbia, by Cihan Bilginsoy and Peter Philips, University of Utah. Journal of Education Finance, 2000.
• Kentucky’s Prevailing Wage Law: Its History, Purpose and Effect, by Peter Philips, University of Utah, 1999.
• Prevailing Wage Laws and School Construction Costs, Mark J. Prus, Ph.D., Economics Department, State University of New York, 1999.
• Kansas and Prevailing Wage Legislation, by Peter Philips, University of Utah, 1998.
• The Effect of State Prevailing Wage Laws on Total Construction Costs, Mark J. Prus, State University of New York, Cortland, N.Y., 1996.
• Square Foot Construction Costs for Newly Constructed State and Local Schools, Offices and Warehouses in Nine Southwestern States, by Peter Philips, University of Utah, 1996.
• Losing Ground: Lessons from the Repeal of Nine "Little Davis-Bacon" Acts, Garth Mangum, Peter Philips, Norm Waitzman and Anne Yeagle, University of Utah, 1995.
• "Little Davis-Bacon Acts"  Research reveals 17 states have pending legislation affecting prevailing wage laws. From outright repeal to exempting certain types of construction it appears the assault might be coordinated by anti-worker interests. Further information on state legislation can be obtained from www.ncsl.org/public/leglinks.cfm.
• Michigan's Prevailing Wage Act - You Get What You Pay For, by the Michigan State Building and Construction Trades Council.
• Why Keep Michigan Prevailing Wage, by Daniel Kruger, Michigan State University.

Project Labor Agreement Studies

Since President Bush's Executive Order banning PLAs, the ABC and other opponents have been spreading misinformation about the soundness of government entities entering into PLAs. Listed below are studies, papers and reports that support the use of PLA's in public sector construction.

• Building Opportunity: Investing in Our Future through a Port Construction Careers Policy by Jackie Cornejo, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, June 2009. This meticulously researched report by Jackie Cornejo compiles relevant research to lay out the best case for a Project Labor Agreement on the Port of Los Angeles. The report also features a foreword from leading scholar Peter Philips, who is Professor and Chair of the University of Utah Department of Economics.
• Project Labor Agreements in NY State: In the Public Interest, by Fred B. Kotler, J.D., Associate Director of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University affirms the fact that Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) do not discriminate against employers and workers; do not limit the pool of bidders; and do not raise construction costs. (2008)
• Construction Careers for our Communities by the UCLA Labor Center, 2008 This report explores one potential benefit that sometimes emerges from the innovative bargaining structure of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) —local hiring goals—through an assessment of projects developed by three public agencies in Los Angeles County: the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and the City of Los Angeles.
• In a 2007 report entitled Project Labor Agreements, Professors Dale Belman, of Michigan State University; Matthew M. Bodah of the University of Rhode Island and Peter Philips of the University of Utah found that there is no evidence that PLAs decrease the number of bidders or change the cost of construction projects. Rather than increase cost, the agreements provide benefits to the community. Indeed, the study shows that project cost is directly related to the complexity of a project, not the existence of an agreement.
• In a report dated July 7, 2004 the Contra Costa County Director of General Services reported that bids for 5 of the 8 projects subject to the PLA policy were lower than the architect/engineer cost estimate. View Report
  Note: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors adopted a PLA policy requiring PLA's on all County projects of $1 million.
• Project Labor Agreements and Construction in Maine University of Maine Bureau of Labor Education (2005).
• Project Labor Agreements in Iowa: An Important Tool for Managing Complex Public Construction Projects. Ralph Scharnau & Michael F. Sheehan, The Iowa Policy Project (2004). Public-sector construction projects in Iowa serve three important public functions. They provide direct services through the building of schools, hospitals, police stations, highways and similar projects. Second, spending on these projects stimulates economic development and creates jobs. And third, they improve the ability of the public infrastructure to deliver services that help to generate income for other Iowa producers. This makes those producers more productive and competitive.”
• Constructing California: A Review of Project Labor Agreements Project labor agreements (PLAs) are arguably the most important change in labor-management relations in the construction industry in recent years. They have become a fairly common part of the organization of major construction projects in California. This report recounts the history of PLAs in California, surveys the features found in California PLAs for both public and private projects, includes case studies of recent PLAs that are breaking new ground, and reviews the state of the President's PLA executive orders. Kimberly Johnston-Dodds, Prepared at the request of Senator John L. Burton, President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate, October 2001.
• Project Labor Agreements Booklet The purpose of this booklet is to show how PLAs are a winning opportunity, not just for workers and contractors, but also for public and private owners and especially taxpayers. By the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, 2000.
• "Project Labor Agreements: The State of the Law", December 1999, by Brian A. Powers and Gerald M. Waites.  Lists PLAs, surveys and studies that prove the benefits of PLA built construction projects.
• "Legal Considerations Affecting the use of Public Sector Project Labor Agreements: A Proponent's View" by Bradford W. Coupe, Esq. Makes the case that PLAs are an effective tool for labor-management relations.
• Project Labor Agreements Brochure, by the AFL-CIO.

Labor Law Studies

• On the Corner: Day Labor in the United States This report profiles, the national phenomenon of day labor in the United States.  January 2006.
• The Social and Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in Construction, by Françoise Carré, Ph.D. and Randall Wilson, (December 2004), examines the scope and impact of classifying construction workers as independent contractors. Studying this practice among construction employers in the state of Massachusetts, Carré, Wilson, and the study's investigators demonstrate the harm of employee misclassification. The study may be particularly useful as part of broader efforts to promote responsible contractor and best value contracting language to public construction users.
• The High Road to a Competitive Economy: A Labor Law Strategy by Professor Harley Shaiken. (This article was created by the Center for American Progress)