Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1952 [PAGE 1104]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

I20I

T h e Director of Robert Allerton Park, the Provost, and the Comptroller recommend awarding of contracts and assignments of funds as follows for these improvements: General construction—Oran L. Shoemaker & Company, Champaign $49 362 Sewers and force main—Ed Harris & Paul Keller, Champaign 17 889 This is the second lowest bidder. Herr Brothers, Piper City, Illinois, submitted a low bid of $17,726 but this firm can not start the work until May, I 9 5 2 . whereas Harris & Keller are prepared to start within thirty days after awarding of a contract. Machinery to be bought on purchase orders on bids already received 2 543 Engineering design and supervision 4 850 Contingencies 356 Total Budget $75 000 I recommend that an appropriation of $75,000 be made from the General Reserve Fund for this work, funds to be assigned as indicated above, and that contracts be awarded as recommended.

At this point the Secretary of the Board presented the following letter received from the Secretary of the Twin City Federation of Labor, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois:

T W I N C I T Y FEDERATION OF LABOR CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, ILLINOIS

August 9, 1951 Mr. A. J. Janata, Secretary, University of Illinois, Board of Trustees, Administration Building, West, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois.

DEAR S I R :

T h e Twin City Federation of Labor protests the action of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees in declaring in an advertisement for bids on construction of a sewage disposal plant at Allerton Park, Monticello, 111., that "no prevailing wage rates exist" for the territory involved. The advertisement appeared in the August 3, 1951 issue of the Champaign-Urbana Courier. It is the claim of organized labor in Champaign-Urbana, 111., that this statement is not true. It is contended that the Allerton Park area is in the jurisdiction of Champaign-Urbana, and as such, the prevailing rates of wages paid in Champaign-Urbana also apply to Allerton Park. Further, the 1951 amendment to the Prevailing Wage Act, State of Illinois, provides for the State Department of Labor to designate the rates to be used as prevailing where no established rate exists. It is hoped the Board of Trustees will take such action as may be necessary to correct this flagrant disregard of Labor's rights in this instance, and to prevent its recurrence in the future. Respectfully yours,

T W I N C I T Y FEDERATION OF LABOR

Orville E. Moore, Secretary 1406 North Neil Street, Champaign, Illinois

The protest in this letter refers to the following statement included in the notice to contractors calling for proposals on the construction of a sewage treatment and disposal plant at Robert Allerton Park, as published in the Champaign-Urbana Courier on August 3, 1951:

T h e Contractor will be required to comply with the provisions of an act entitled, "An Act regulating wages of laborers, mechanics and' other workmen employed under contracts for public works," (approved June 26, 1941) Illinois Revised Statute? 1941, Chapter 48, Sections 39L to 39S-12 inclusive and shall pay not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for work of a similar character in the locality in which the work is performed and not less than the