CASE STUDY: Ballot Measure 12: Prevailing Wage

In 1994, Pac/West was hired by a coalition of citizens, workers and employers to oppose Ballot Measure 12, which sought to repeal prevailing wage law on public works projects.

Pac/West’s campaign team worked with Oregonians to Maintain Community Standards to educate Oregonians about misleading information being disseminated about prevailing wage law, and to inform voters about the benefits of fair wages to Oregon’s community and economy.

We began the campaign by conducting statewide polling to develop a strategy and targeted messaging; our tools included direct mail, editorial board visits, print ads, radio, advertising, presentations, releases and development of earned media opportunities. Letters to the editor from the coalition were printed in publications statewide as well.

Opponents of prevailing wage falsely claimed that doing so would reduce government costs. In actuality, repealing prevailing wage would:

• Increase long-term project costs;
• Destroy fair and competitive local community wage standards;
• Eliminate workers’ health care insurance and other earned benefits;
• Undercut Oregon’s greatest asset—its citizens;
• Leave Oregonians with a much less-skilled work force;
• And not produce any significant cost savings for the government

The election resulted in a decisive vote by Oregonians with 62 percent to 38 percent voting to prevent repeal of the prevailing wage requirement on public works.