In response to protests that have sometimes turned destructive in northern Wisconsin, state lawmakers have introduced legislation to make it a felony to trespass on the site of a pipeline.

Tagged with: Construction Business Group Enbridge Energy International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 Janet Bewley Line 3 Local 139 pipeline Superior Terry McGowan

If drywall and flooring could talk, it'd probably have a dark story to tell about Wisconsin's ongoing construction boom. Behind projects big and small, say people close to the industry, there thrives an underground economy made up of contractors who cheat their workers out of wages and benefits to deliver projects on time and under budget.

Tagged with: Construction Business Group Department of Workforce Development wage theft worker misclassification

State officials on Monday said they are searching for new ways to prevent the abuse of worker misclassification, a persistent source of concern that contractors blame for keeping bids artificially low and giving rise to an underground economy.

Tagged with: Construction Business Group Department of Workforce Development Mark Reihl Mike Myszewski worker misclassification

Gov. Scott Walker questioned Monday how Democrats can say they stand for women while not challenging a private business association that excluded female Democratic gubernatorial candidates from a recent forum.

Tagged with: Andy Gronik Construction Business Group Dana Wachs Gov. Scott Walker mahlon mitchell Robb Kahl Tony Evers

A new online database aims to prevent government officials from feeling in the dark when deciding whether a contractor would responsibly handle taxpayer dollars. The system, officially called the Bidder Database, could hardly come at a better time, say the people behind it. ...

Tagged with: Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin Construction Business Group prevailing wage

The top official at a construction group heavily involved in making sure prevailing wage and other employment laws are enforced is being challenged for his seat in Wisconsin’s state Assembly.

Tagged with: Construction Business Group Robb Kahl

As GOP legislators work to roll back the state’s prevailing wage laws, a Democratic lawmaker is warning that a separate proposal will make whatever is left over only harder to enforce.

Tagged with: Construction Business Group prevailing wage

The state has put four new investigators on the worker-misclassification beat – including one who had pursued military criminals in Iraq – and one of their first assignments is to clean up the construction industry.

Tagged with: Construction Business Group DWD worker misclassification workers' comp

The state Building Commission will have a new face at its next meeting.

Tagged with: Building Commission Construction Business Group Gordon Hintz Robb Kahl

Even though federal prevailing wages are sometimes more than 10 years old, two state lawmakers would prefer using those rates on certain public projects instead of annually updated Wisconsin numbers.

Tagged with: Andre Jacque Construction Business Group DWD International Union of Operating Engineers prevailing wage Robb Kahl Terry McGowan