# Government job wages



## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

How many of you guys would actually work for the "government mandated minimum wage" for this job (it's installing controls and power for an aircraft fueling system).

WAGE RATES
Attached is one copy of the Department of Labor Decision covering approved minimum
wage rates for your AlP Project. The Department of Labor wage rates should be made a
part of the contract documents. If superseding wage rates are received in our office a
minimum of ten days prior to bid opening, the new rates will be applicable for this project,
unless the FAA makes a determination that there is insufficient time to notify bidders.
It is the sponsors responsibility to determine which schedule of classifications and rates is
applicable to the project; however, we will assist if needed. Please insure that the copies
included in the project specifications are clear and legible.
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
General Decision Number: NC1 001 1309/30/2011 NC1 13
State: North Carolina
Construction Type: Heavy
Counties: Alexander, Burke, CaIdwell and Catawba Counties in
North Carolina.
HEAVY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
FP-14
Modification Number Publication Date
0 09/30/2011
SUNC2O1 1-057 08/26/2011
Rates Fringes
CARPENTER, Includes Form Work... $ 13.98 0.69
ELECTRICIAN $ 15.41 3.13
LABORER: Common or General $ 11.30 1.53
LABORER: Pipelayer $ 12.66 2.50
OPERATOR:
Backhoe/Excavator/Trackhoe $ 15.97 2.25
OPERATOR: Bulldozer $ 14.63 0.00

I hope I never get to the point that I would have to work for these wages.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

I work for government minimum wage


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> I work for government minimum wage


As an electrician or apprentice?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

The Government makes a point to ensure my wages are always at a minimum.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> As an electrician or apprentice?


As a journeymen.


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## electricmanscott (Feb 11, 2010)

I make every effort to make sure the filthy Government steals a minimum of my wages.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Bkessler said:


> As a journeymen.


 
AS much time, money and paper work the federal governemnt waste on prevailing wage projects, the actually pay blue collar worker gets is LOUSY. The wages and benefits are not as good as their white collar counterparts. I am sure this is based on what agency you work for.


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## Bkessler (Feb 14, 2007)

brian john said:


> AS much time, money and paper work the federal governemnt waste on prevailing wage projects, the actually pay blue collar worker gets is LOUSY. The wages and benefits are not as good as their white collar counterparts. I am sure this is based on what agency you work for.


You'll here no complaint's from me.


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## TheControlsFreak (Dec 7, 2011)

Luckily those are the MINIMUMs and not the required rates.

On the other side, I have done Government work where we hired some totally inexperienced workers whose last jobs were duct insulators and Wendy's order taker and we would have loved to pay them $8-$10 an hour to train them up... But certified payroll said they were electricians and commissioning agents and we had to pay them minimum $11 an hour.


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Same type of work, I'd have to pay them 56 an hour......


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## MaxFuse (Oct 23, 2011)

This new scale on gov. jobs blows.
Here in florida electricians took a 45% drop in pay including total loss of fringes. Then about a month later electrical contractors dropped their rates as well. 
Even HBZachry has dropped their rates significantly across the US.
Its only a matter of time before all electricians start to feel the pain.
It really blows when a painter makes 8 dollars more an hour on the same job, and all other trades got raises including increased fringes.
I think large corporations are pressuring gov.into driving us down to increase profits.
In their minds all we do is twist a few wires,change a plug,maybe put in some light bulbs.They dont know the real aspects of this trade.
On the other hand OSHA realizes the dangers of this job, just by the staggering amount of AHA's and arc flash stuff you have to wear just to take a deadfront off a panel.
Bottom line is they know it could be dangerous , but they arent going to pay you for it.
Kinda makes you feel expendable.Doesn't it?


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

MaxFuse said:


> This new scale on gov. jobs blows.
> Here in florida electricians took a 45% drop in pay including total loss of fringes. Then about a month later electrical contractors dropped their rates as well.
> Even HBZachry has dropped their rates significantly across the US.
> Its only a matter of time before all electricians start to feel the pain.
> ...


That is because the people in charge making these wage rates never held a job in the real world and they look down on anyone that did not go to the same college they did.

Remember they never held a job so how would they even know what an Electrician does?


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

MaxFuse said:


> This new scale on gov. jobs blows.
> Here in florida electricians took a 45% drop in pay including total loss of fringes. Then about a month later electrical contractors dropped their rates as well.
> Even HBZachry has dropped their rates significantly across the US.
> Its only a matter of time before all electricians start to feel the pain.
> ...


You are talking about the davis bacon prevailing wage which is not what this old thread was about.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> That is because the people in charge making these wage rates never held a job in the real world and they look down on anyone that did not go to the same college they did.
> 
> Remember they never held a job so how would they even know what an Electrician does?


So Harry you are for forcing jobs to use prevailing wages?


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## MaxFuse (Oct 23, 2011)

gov. mandated min. wage is prevailing wage.Same thing.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

MaxFuse said:


> gov. mandated min. wage is prevailing wage.Same thing.


I apologize I screwed up, you are correct.


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

MaxFuse said:


> This new scale on gov. jobs blows.
> Here in florida electricians took a 45% drop in pay including total loss of fringes. Then about a month later electrical contractors dropped their rates as well.
> Even HBZachry has dropped their rates significantly across the US.
> Its only a matter of time before all electricians start to feel the pain.
> ...



What you're seeing is the IBEW failing and the non-union contractors gaining more traction in setting the "going rate".


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

more folks should realize this.....~CS~


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## piperunner (Aug 22, 2009)

*Government waste construction projects*

Well wasted federal tax dollars 
I have worked many scale government projects we just finished a Veterans Hospital the specifications are stringent to say the least.

The VA inspectors wait until the last minute to point out issues not just on electrical were talking all trades .
Whats funny is there walking the job 24/7 so why do they wait until the finish coat of paint .

They enjoy it!! This is deliberately costing the tax payer in this country billions of our tax dollars on these types of projects .

Waiting until the last coat of paint goes on and telling the electrical contractor the device is off 1/4 to 1/8 of a inch . Yep behind a desk in a office 1/8 of a inch .

If you use a superior product but did not submit it guess what its coming out at your cost or use a better application not acceptable it has to be there way . 

And if they change the plans do to there poor design and incompetence then its ok to use a cheaper product or change the specification .

Telling the painting contractor after months of painting , hey thats not the color doesnt match exactly . But if your looking at that wall paint color you could not tell the difference , you would need a special light and sample sheet .
But it was ok a year ago on model test wall sample .

Our country is broke we have no money were in big trouble but yet we pay our federal government inspectors to screw us contractors over everyday .

Now they want it done correctly but yet they dont want to pay us to do the work or give workers a fair wage and they want joint co contract with Minority sub electrical contractors to share the project to give everyone in the area a part of the project. 

Yep a minority electrical contractor joint venture on board with us who doesnt have the ability and never has seen a job this size so we do twice the amount of work to carry the load for them . So they get a chance to do a big job but never earned it like we did . What a joke !


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## crosport (Apr 4, 2010)

What the hell ever happened in the great U.S.A. to have journeymen paid disgusting wages like those.Is the economy that bad there?Hell I think the minimum wage in Canada for anywork is minimum 10 an hour,depending what province you're in.


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## crazy electrician (Apr 30, 2011)

In Illinois the PW rate is $38.98.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

hardworkingstiff said:


> How many of you guys would actually work for the "government mandated minimum wage" for this job (it's installing controls and power for an aircraft fueling system).
> 
> WAGE RATES
> Attached is one copy of the Department of Labor Decision covering approved minimum
> ...


You can thank the IEC and ABC for shilling down the wages by stuffing in false data.


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

crazy electrician said:


> In Illinois the PW rate is $38.98.


It changes by your local area. It is $39.10 plus $26.95 in benefits where I am at.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> It changes by your local area. It is $39.10 plus $26.95 in benefits where I am at.


$39 is almost my OT rate. And forget the extra $26.. :-(


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## Greg (Aug 1, 2007)

Everyone talks about the prevailing wages sucking hind tit but last year I did a HVAC controls job at NASA and my prevailing wage was $38 and some change, for FL that is pretty awesome. :thumbup: And my dumb self closed the job out ahead of schedule. The wife was saying can you milk it any longer,:laughing: but my ethics said, no. At least I walked away knowing I did the right thing.

If you guys only knew the amount of waste in the Gov't. I now know, Wirenut will probably agree. If the Gov't had to turn a profit they wouldn't even know where to begin. I was told a month ago to spend an extra $300.00 on a GE Spectra Series II panel (extra spare breakers) so we could get free shipping, the kicker is the shipping was only $100.00. WTF 

Depending on what I need, I will order from Rexel, HD Supply, or Grainger:thumbdown:. Everyone keeps telling me to use Grainger even though they are the most expensive supplier on the planet. I even showed then the price quotes. And all 3 suppliers are on our approved vendor list. I keep getting told it's not your money why are you worried. But it is my money and they just don't get it.

I guess it is called welcome to federal employment.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Greg said:


> If you guys only knew the amount of waste in the Gov't. I now know, Wirenut will probably agree. If the Gov't had to turn a profit they wouldn't even know where to begin. I was told a month ago to spend an extra $300.00 on a GE Spectra Series II panel (extra spare breakers) so we could get free shipping, the kicker is the shipping was only $100.00. WTF
> 
> 
> 
> I guess it is called welcome to federal employment.


Oh ya, there is a lot of waste. Some is so small time that it makes little difference. Other times its on a grand scale. Milking a job for Saturday OT? No problem, as long as the boss is in also. Spend 6 hours to save $50 on material? Oh ya, we put a dent in the deficit. 
I'll admit that I don't waste the man hours to price anything. I don't have the ability to do that. I just buy what is needed and will last, but never gold plated. 
And please don't ask me to work Saturday for a BS job as it won't happen. 
.
.
But you have to wonder what is really waste. 
For most $$ that we spend, someone is working on the outside. The federal gov is the largest employer and we consume alot of stuff. 
But who really understands how much $15 trillion is? We won't go broke or belly up. But the idea of free gifts & trips is, hopefully, a thing of the past. 
.
You all should read the federal employee news site. You would laugh till you puked. :-(

Federaltimes.com


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## hardworkingstiff (Jan 22, 2007)

Greg said:


> Everyone keeps telling me to use Grainger even though they are the most expensive supplier on the planet.


Let me guess, this job is into a cost plus phase so the more you pay for something the more you make.


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## Greg (Aug 1, 2007)

hardworkingstiff said:


> Let me guess, this job is into a cost plus phase so the more you pay for something the more you make.


I'm no longer a contractor, I work for the Gov't. and as we all know, the Gov't is not a profitable organization. You get penalized for saving money, i.e. your next quarters budget is smaller.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Greg said:


> I'm no longer a contractor, I work for the Gov't. and as we all know, the Gov't is not a profitable organization. You get penalized for saving money, i.e. your next quarters budget is smaller.


Just like onboard ship. Everything went over the side at midnight just before the end of the quarter. 
The oceans are filled with Skillcraft pens and uncomfortable chairs.


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## Stan B. (Jul 25, 2008)

MaxFuse said:


> This new scale on gov. jobs blows.
> Here in florida electricians took a 45% drop in pay including total loss of fringes. Then about a month later electrical contractors dropped their rates as well.
> Even HBZachry has dropped their rates significantly across the US.
> Its only a matter of time before all electricians start to feel the pain.
> ...


Well at least your taxes should go down. Right? :wacko:


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## Shockdoc (Mar 4, 2010)

But they'll have no problem paying their fortunate sons $50 - $75 an hour. They'll get what they pay for, minimum quality .


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## Legion (Oct 19, 2010)

HARRY304E said:


> That is because the people in charge making these wage rates never held a job in the real world and they look down on anyone that did not go to the same college they did.
> 
> Remember they never held a job so how would they even know what an Electrician does?


Shockingly, I don't think this is too far from the truth. I was once in a meeting with a fortune 500 VP whom proceeded to state that skilled tradesmen and engineers shouldn't be paid more than $15 an hour. Since the only skilled or educated individuals in his mind were MBA's. This coming from an executive who's previous two employers went bankrupt with him as the president of operations.

I was in another meeting once when a recent college grad, hired for a rotational executive training program, presented a state of the business meeting. Of course he prefaced it with explaining how charts and numbers might be a bit too complicated for a room mostly full of nuclear engineers to understand, since we didn't go to business school like he did.


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## Frasbee (Apr 7, 2008)

That attitude just burns me up. Its time to get ORGANIZED!


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