Public Policy Education: Debunking the Annual Assault on Prevailing Wage
Year after year, in state after state, prevailing wage laws for public construction projects are under attack in a relentless misinformation campaign. Such was the case in Missouri in the summer of 2006, when Casey Communications was tasked to creatively develop a CD that would set the record straight based on an exhaustive study by the University of Missouri-Kansas City that demonstrated the far reaching impact of prevailing wage. As detractors reloaded their myths and took aim at the legislature, Casey conducted videotaped interviews, gathered images and served as executive producer, writer and narrator for the CD.

Mixing evocative images with authoritative interviews from the scholars who produced the study and knowledgeable public policy makers, the video illustrated how prevailing wage law supports higher safety and quality standards. Moreover, the presentation documented the positive contributions of prevailing wage to the state tax base and to the health and welfare of Missouri workers and their families.

The eight-minute documentary was produced in less than three months and was well received at its debut before a prominent Missouri municipal government organization. A few weeks later, it was presented to a statewide group of school board officials. In both cases, the compelling delivery of facts effectively made the case that a repeal of prevailing wage would have a devastating impact on the economic well-being of tens of thousands of Missourians and their communities, just as it had in other states in the Midwest.

Today, the CD is highly sought-after by labor unions and labor-management groups. It is available via a number of websites and has been referenced in newspapers around the state. The client plans mass distribute the CD to advance the grassroots momentum it has helped stir.