Twenty-one states have moved to curb "prevailing wage" rules that require payment of skilled labor, including carpenters, at higher scale generally accorded union workers, when working on publicly funded projects, reports the Wall Street Journal. The newspaper says labor accounts for 30 percent of a construction job; carpenters earn just over $20 on average in the U.S.; when paid under prevailing wage rules the hourly rate is over $40.
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