When the Board of Selectmen was putting the warrant for Town Meeting in final form on Feb. 28, Selectman Ron Ricci asked his fellow members to include a home rule petition asking that Harvard be exempt from Massachusetts’ prevailing wage law. But he acknowledged that the measure probably had “a snowball’s chance” of winning state approval, even if Town Meeting voted for it.
“Would you accept an amendment that might give it more than a snowball’s chance?” asked Selectwoman Marie Sobalvarro. With Ricci’s agreement, Sobalvarro offered several changes that resulted in the current Article 39 of the Warrant.
Under the prevailing wage law, municipalities must pay workers on public projects the same wages that “have been established in certain trades and occupations by collective agreements . . . between organized labor and employers.” In other words, towns must pay union wages, as listed in the state’s current 57-page schedule of prevailing wages.
Ricci’s proposed article asked that Harvard be exempt from that law. Sobalvarro’s amendments limited Harvard’s request for an exemption to projects that cost less than $50,000 or are paid for entirely with private funds.
In 2011, North Andover won state approval for an article exempting projects under $50,000 from the prevailing wage standard. And the town of Chatham received an exemption in 2009 for work on the historic Marconi RCA Wireless Receiving Station, all of which was done with private funds. So there is precedent for each separate part of Harvard’s request, but no town has yet been granted both exemptions jointly.
If passed by Town Meeting and granted by the state, the measure would definitely save Harvard money, according to Finance Director Lorraine Leonard. Asked for examples of recent projects where the measure might have led to savings, she cited the installation of new boilers and new carpeting at the schools.
