Ed do you ever see the way unions work in the DOT? I asked once about why there were 10 guys at a project with 2 working and 8 standing around. The answer was typical of why we waste so much money. I was told that there are union requirements which say that employee #1 must be on the job and he has only one small part in it...like throwing a switch...so he gets to stand around until it is his turn...Combine this with the prevailing wage requirement and you have just doubled the cost of most functions.

Prevailing wages in my field are 3 times what the going rate is with the exception of the union workers. The union folks in my field can go from apprentice to journeyman by simply paying higher dues. No requirement to make the higher pay translate into higher quality of work or more work in an 8 hour day. Not so for others I deal with like carpenters. I'll take a union journeyman carpenter everyday over an independent. I don't mind paying their $33 an hour because I get it back in quality and production. I don't see that at DOT. I see a good ole boy network of make work projects.