Policy Change Would Hurt Veterans by Reducing Wages, Benefits and Safety

KANSAS CITY, MO – Eric Phillippe, a US Army veteran who is a father, volunteer firefighter, and carpenter in Missouri, issued the following statement today regarding the Missouri House of Representatives vote to repeal Prevailing Wage:

“By voting to repeal Prevailing Wage, extremist politicians in the Missouri House of Representatives sided with millionaire CEOs and greedy corporations over veterans and middle class families. This is an insult to every working family in Missouri.  For the sake of the thousands of working families who depend on Prevailing Wage, I certainly hope members of the Senate will stop this dangerous bill dead in its tracks.”

Recently, Eric Phillippe has been featured in a new TV ad that is running statewide as well as online.  It is part of larger public awareness and grassroots efforts by community organizations, contractors and businesses to protect Prevailing Wage in Missouri.

Prevailing Wage ensures that ALL skilled workers are paid fairly, so employers can’t undercut them and drive wages down, hurting our economy.  Prevailing Wage laws also ensure our schools and roads are built safely, by qualified and skilled workers, not by out-of-state companies or undocumented workers.  Repealing Prevailing Wage would mean firms could bring in cheap, out-of-state labor to outbid Missouri companies. Since 10.5% of Missouri’s construction workforce are veterans compared to 6.7% of its state workforce, repealing Prevailing Wage in Missouri would not only hurt working families, it would disproportionately affect Missouri veterans.  Missouri veterans could have their pay cut or lose their jobs.

Protect MO Families is a broad-based coalition of organizations and individuals who have come together to support middle class families and oppose anti-worker policies such as so-called “Right to Work” and attacks on Prevailing Wage, that would reduce wages and benefits for our families. We stand for Missouri’s working families, and against the millionaire CEOs, corporate extremists and self-interested politicians who are waging war on the middle class.  For more information, visit www.ProtectMoFamilies.com