United States 1931

Synopsis

In 1931 the U.S. Congress passed the Davis-Bacon Act, which is still in effect in modified form. The act requires certain private contractors working on federal construction projects to pay their workers at least locally prevailing wages, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor (which has used union pay scales as its guide), for the type of work being performed.

The Davis-Bacon Act was enacted to prevent nonlocal contractors from "invading" a region, using cheap labor, and disrupting local wage rates. In 1931 the use of immigrant and African American migrant workers, often far cheaper than local unionized workers, was the primary issue. As a result, some parties then and now have decried the act as a "Jim Crow" law. Since its passage, the Davis-Bacon Act has been a favorite of organized labor, for obvious reasons. In addition, several states have prevailing...