Catholic institutions must follow archdiocese's guidelines

Wishful thinking? No, this September 22, 2005 Catholic Herald article (not available online) is about Procedures for Catholic Institutions in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for Major Renovation and/or Building Construction [PDF 21 pages].

On the twentieth page, under procedures, we find that

4. All bids shall adhere to the prevailing wage standard for that area, as determined by the Wisconsin Statutes, Section 66.293, (applicable to all contracting done by Wisconsin municipalities).

This statute looks to be the state equivalent to the Davis-Bacon Act, in effect requiring that union scale be paid on such projects.

Is the Archdiocese generally equating union scale or prevailing wages and just wages. Not really. In the minutes of the local priests' union's February 25, 2004 meeting we find that the Archdiocese had been using an outside consulting firm in determining annual raises in priests' salaries. The minutes seem to say that, for the first time, the consultant's recommendation was not followed. Raises will be 2.5%, rather than the 5% it recommended, and the consultant has been terminated. The Archbishop decided on smaller raises so they would be more in line with raises being given to lay staff.

[Fr.] Ken Mich said this was not an issue about the Archbishop's authority, but rather concern over the system that was put in place to bring us up to parity with people with comparable responsibilities and positions.

So we have the oddity that the Archdiocese might someday pay priests on the same basis that it now compels parishes to pay construction contractors' employees, but only because the priests raised a stink about it. Otherwise, the Archdiocese seemed to think the priests ought to bear part of the burden of the financial squeeze.

At the parish level, the goal, set by the Archdiocese as I understand it, is to get employee pay up to 80% of comparable wages. At St. Al's, last I saw, this was done by comparing to the local public sector equivalent. So far, the parish has never been able to get up to that 80% level. Despite that, I assume the cost of the recent building project included paying union scale. These provisions in the Procedures are presented as requirements of justice, but they turn out to be special interest legislation.