Pittsburgh wage law prevails
On Feb. 19, Pittsburgh passed a citywide policy to create jobs that pay prevailing wages to service workers employed at city-subsidized developments, despite Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s disapproval. Pittsburgh’s new law requires developers that receive subsidies or other tax-incentives to pay the private sector going rate to building service, food service, hotel and grocery workers. The law also requires city contractors to pay prevailing wages to their workers. While supporters like New York-based property service workers union 32BJ SEIU welcomed the new law, Ravenstahl vetoed the original version of the bill in December and did not sign the amended version, though he did allow it to become law. “This bill will all but ensure that [large] projects will look to other geographic areas without the constraint of its restrictions,” the mayor wrote in his veto message.