Bulletins

Legislative

Transportation Budget Stalemate Ended

Senate and Republican legislators voted Wednesday to end the deadlock over the 2009 transportation budget, one week before the beginning of the fiscal year. The legislative agreement broke a logjam and averted a departmental shutdown and closure of MDOT construction projects around the state. The stalemate revolved around the Detroit
Legislative

MITA Readies $1 Billion Transportation Plan for Lame Duck

MITA has been working diligently in recent weeks to prepare state legislators for a mound of work when they return from the fall elections. Because of plummeting state gas tax revenues and the resulting loss of federal matching funds, MITA has been pushing policymakers for immediate action on a transportation
Engineering

Fraudulent USDOT Faxes Resurface

As we have advised you in the past to beware, recently several MITA members have received what appears to be official letters from the USDOT requesting specific bank account information. Although the fax letters are very official looking on USDOT Procurement Office letterhead, we have confirmed with the USDOT’s Office
Legislative

U.S. Senate Votes to Save Federal Highway Trust Fund

The Senate approved legislation yesterday to transfer $8 billion to restore solvency to the federal Highway Trust Fund. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters had announced that federal-aid payments to the states would be withheld because of a shortage of funds. Current projections show that the federal Highway Trust Fund
Legislative

Traffic Zone Safety Bills Pass Senate Committee

As an advocate for safer work zones, MITA helped craft and introduce legislation cutting down on the number of construction zone signs and also giving flaggers legal authority to override a traffic control device.  The bills were passed out of Senate Committee this week, thanks to testimony delivered by Mike
Labor

008 Wage Rates for Underground Construction

MITA was involved in a dispute with the Detroit Area Carpenters relative to the assignment of work on mechanically stabilized earth wall construction (MSE wall).  It was the position of the Carpenters that such work fall within their jurisdiction and should therefore be assigned to Carpenters, rather than Laborers. The
Labor

008 Wage Rates for Underground Construction

The 2008 Wage Rates for Underground Construction, effective the first full payroll period on or after September 1, 2008 have been posted to the MITA website.   Click here for 2008 Wage Rates.     If you have any questions and/or concerns, please call the MITA office at (517) 347-8336.
Engineering

Updated “Truck Driver Scenario” Guidance Document

MITA recently met with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG) to discuss ongoing state prevailing wage truck driver enforcement concerns. During the meeting, DLEG indicated that it was now their position that “owner-operators” would be covered under the Michigan Prevailing Wage Act when they are working on
Legislative

MITA MBT Fix Signed into Law

It’s official.  Gov. Granholm signed the MITA Materials Deduction Fix legislation into law.  The bill was approved unanimously by both houses of the Legislature and is now Public Act 177 of 2008. MITA began working on the legislation (SB 1217) after it became evident that bureaucrats within the Department of
Engineering

Price Adjustment Provisions – An Update

Over the course of the last several months, MITA has received a number of calls and inquiries concerning the industry’s position on price adjustment (escalator) provisions, particularly as it related to fuel.  In response to those inquiries MITA held an open meeting in it’s Okemos office to hear and learn
Legislative

LANDMARK MITA VICTORY: Legislature Approves MBT Materials Deduction

MITA celebrated a major victory this week with passage of the critical MBT (Michigan Business Tax) materials deduction fix at 1am on Saturday morning—the last day of session before summer break.  The MITA MBT fix was a major accomplishment because it was the only one allowed this year, despite many
Legislative

Michigan’s Minimum Wage Set for Increase

Michigan employers employing 2 or more employees who are at least 16 years old are required to pay the Michigan minimum wage of $7.40 per hour beginning July 1, 2008. The Federal Minimum Wage is set to increase to $6.55 per hour July 24, 2008, but is less than the