Prevailing wage ruling favorable to economic development

The Ohio Supreme Court wrapped up the month of June with a ruling that may impact many of Ohio’s businesses, particularly those with public-private partnerships.

In Ohio, “public improvement” projects must pay union wages to workers.  However, under the ruling, any projects receiving only partial public funding (such as grants from the Ohio Department of Development and local agencies) are not automatically subject to the prevailing wage laws.

The Associated Builders and Contractors of Ohio argued that extending the prevailing wage laws in Ohio could harm economic development efforts in the state by raising construction costs by as much as 20%.

This decision came as good news to the Ohio economic development community, who increasingly look to partial public funding as an option for business expansion.

For more information about the prevailing wage ruling, visit the ruling’s page on Ohio Supreme Court’s website.