The Daily Reporter - WI Construction News & Bids » Mielke

Prevailing wage bill back on track

admin — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 21:06:06 +0000

By James Briggs A bill targeting the state’s prevailing wage law could begin circulating within weeks. The legislation not only would seek to roll back the most recent changes made under the previous Democratic-controlled Legislature, but also would soften the law beyond its 2009 version, said Nathan Berken, a spokesman for state Rep. Mary Williams, [...]

Walker kills apprenticeship order

admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 22:14:32 +0000

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By James Briggs Gov. Scott Walker‘s rollback of an apprenticeship requirement for certain state projects removed an unnecessary burden from companies struggling to put people to work, according to several construction representatives. Walker has rescinded Executive Order 108, a directive established in 2005 under former Gov. Jim Doyle that required contractors use apprentices on state [...]

Budget battle stalls prevailing wage change

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:55:09 +0000

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By James Briggs As large-scale protesting runs into a second week, the state Capitol remains consumed with Gov. Scott Walker’s budget repair bill. That means other issues — some of them time-sensitive — are stuck on the back burner. “There’s no doubt this has consumed all the oxygen in the room,” said John Mielke, vice [...]

Jobs drive Walker’s first proposals

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:03:23 +0000

By James Briggs Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday released drafts of five bills meant to create jobs. The legislation won’t directly help contractors, but industry lobbyists said any pro-business legislation would be a productive first step. “There’s good stuff in there, and we’re supportive,” said Jim Boullion, director of government affairs for the Associated General [...]

The ABCs of Executive Order 108

admin — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 19:21:04 +0000

By Marie Rohde

staff writer

Last week, industry representatives offered advice to Gov. Scott Walker on regulations that need to be ditched as he considers all that are enforced by the soon-to-be-abandoned Department of Commerce.

Local preference law faces fresh challengers

admin — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:30:55 +0000

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By Marie Rohde A Milwaukee law favoring city-based contractors is among the targets of state and national construction associations trying to ban local preference ordinances. “If the idea catches on and spreads, you’ll have islands where only a few contractors can bid,” said John Mielke, vice president of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin. [...]

Industry reacts to Walker’s call for Commerce Department shake up (UPDATE)

admin — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:55:22 +0000

By Marie Rohde Construction industry leaders want Gov.-elect Scott Walker to trim the regulatory fat from the state Department of Commerce while remaking the agency into a partly private board. “This is the perfect time to look at all of Commerce’s regulations,” said Jim Boullion, director of governmental affairs for the Associated General Contractors of [...]

MMSD lateral projects lack support from suburbs

admin — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:10:05 +0000

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By Marie Rohde “Walk, don’t run” was the advice community leaders gave the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District in spending more than $151 million to prevent sewage from backing up into basements. The district wants to spend the money repairing leaky laterals on private property. According to the district, the water leaking from the laterals enters [...]

Will Republicans’ victories be a win for the construction industry?

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:25:58 +0000

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By James Briggs In the wake of Tuesday’s midterm election, the 2011 state legislative agenda has become a little clearer — and in many cases, more promising than the past two years — for construction lobbyists. Republicans gained majorities in both chambers of the state Legislature and took control of the governor’s mansion. Pending recounts, [...]

Construction money lifts Republicans

admin — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:26:37 +0000

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By James Briggs The construction industry will have financed much of the takeover if Republicans gain power in the Wisconsin Legislature and governor’s office in January. Special interest groups with ties to construction have contributed more than $70,000 — only about $14,000 to Democrats — to candidates running for state offices in next month’s election. [...]

Builders want debarment details from state

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:58:33 +0000

By Paul Snyder Industry associations are withholding support for proposed contractor debarment rules until the state can prove it will not unfairly prevent companies from bidding on jobs. The threat of debarment is a useful tool for the Wisconsin Department of Administration to make sure contractors play by state rules, said John Mielke, vice president [...]

Industry seeks journeymen, apprentice balance

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:23:00 +0000

By Paul Snyder Contractors working on state projects should have a choice between hiring apprentices and journeymen, according to construction groups asking the state to ease its employment rules. “We want to see apprenticeship standards used as encouragement; not a hammer,” said Jim Boullion, government affairs director for the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin. The [...]

ABC playing the waiting game on prevailing wage law

Wed, 26 May 2010 15:04:30 +0000

By Paul Snyder

staff writer

I cannot say I was surprised Tuesday when I got word from John Mielke that the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Inc. would not pursue further legal recourse against the state’s new prevailing wage law.

Madison mayor: ‘Train (project) will run on time’ (UPDATE)

Joe Yovino — Tue, 11 May 2010 18:29:23 +0000

By Darryl Enriquez If Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz’s goal for breaking ground on the proposed Monona Terrace high-speed rail depot is to be met, officials must avoid lengthy policy debates that have prolonged or threatened other projects, local contractors and others say. Observers who have watched Madison government and advocacy groups grind projects such as [...]

State measures penalties for contractor paperwork

Joe Yovino — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:43:53 +0000

By Darryl Enriquez Longtime roofing contractor Leo Kaltenbrun of Sheboygan is skeptical of proposed penalties as high as $2,000 for generals and subs that fail to register with the state before going on a work site. When Kaltenbrun, 90, founded Sheboygan-based Kaltenbrun Bros. Roofing Co. Inc. in 1946, a contractor preparing for a job simply [...]

Operator licensing bill fades as session wanes

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:01:28 +0000

By Paul Snyder Rhode Island contractor David Burnham has worked with heavy equipment for 45 years without an accident. The owner of Sauderstown, R.I.-based Burnham Excavating Inc. will not attribute his safety record entirely to his state-mandated operating license, but he refuses to downplay its importance. “When you have a licensing system, you know everyone’s [...]

Changes to ironworkers bill fail to sway opponents

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:20:43 +0000

By Paul Snyder State lawmakers Monday introduced an amendment to a bill requiring licensure of ironworkers in Wisconsin, but the changes are not enough to win over the bill’s opponents. “In my first read of it, it looks like they tried to meet concerns of some of the other labor unions,” said Mark Reihl, executive [...]

Crane bill raises ire: Operator licensing adds training, experience requirements to OSHA rules

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:00:16 +0000

By Paul Snyder Construction industry representatives Wednesday pounded on a state bill that would add to upcoming federal certification requirements for crane operators. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, would require a state license for crane operators working on public works projects with prevailing wages. The operators would need one of the [...]

Prevailing wage reporting change catches heat (UPDATE)

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 14:25:46 +0000

By Paul Snyder Construction companies in Wisconsin are not convinced a revised prevailing wage reporting spreadsheet from the state will make their jobs any easier. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has pared down what had been a 50-field spreadsheet to 34 fields, but Roger Thimm, controller of Iron Ridge-based Wondra Construction Inc., said the [...]

Prevailing wage bill gets chilly reception

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:05:35 +0000

By Paul Snyder Political resistance and timing could spoil the construction industry’s chance to speak out on a bill that would repeal the state’s new prevailing wage law. “If we’re just looking at repealing all the work we did last year to get this into the budget, I don’t know that I’m going to hold [...]