The Department of Defense is moving forces from Okinawa to Guam – all well and good. Except, the recently passed DOD Authorization contains funding for construction firms to pay their workers wages consistent with labor rates in Hawaii – 250% HIGHER than wages in Guam.
This will not only take over $10 billion (over 10 years) needed dollars out of the pockets of wounded service members, but will pad the pockets of Hawaii’s labor unions while hurting small businesses in Guam.
As we vote on funding for critical programs for our Nation’s Veterans and construction of our military instillations, it is important to ensure the timely and adequate delivery of these services.
This provision provides labor unions dollars, that in my opinion, are more crucial and can be better spent on military hospitals as they deliver first-class health care to our wounded soldiers.
Why Hawaii? Is that where the construction workers will come from?
smagar Monday, July 13th at 11:24PM EDT (link)Does Guam have a work force that’s large enough and skilled enough to do the work that’s needed on the island? If so, then I agree—this is an outrage.
But, if the answer is no, then where will the workers come from? If they’ll most likely come from Hawaii, then it’s not per se outrageous for them to ask for the kinds of wages they’d receive in Hawaii. Especially if those wages are needed to pay the cost of living in Hawaii.
Congressman, I worked diligently to get VetsForFreedom to support you in the last election. I am on your side. But, this article does seem a bit one-sided.
More details, please.
“Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?” (Macaulay)
You're Right.
libertymt Tuesday, July 14th at 12:40AM EDT (link)In the past when our military built things in Guam,, many of the contracts went to Japanese contractors using third world laborers mostly from south east asia because they were cheaper than our guys. The Japanese have equal access to these contracts again, and their government is pushing hard for this to happen as quick as possible (because they want out military out of there), so there’s fear they’ll get the contracts again.
The bill the senator is complaining about capped the number of foreign workers building this base at 30%, and required them to be paid wages equal to those in Hawaii, pretty much ensuring the contracts go to US firms and (mostly) US workers.