Tom Waring, the Wire
Pennsylvania House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody announced that Rep. John Galloway is the new Democratic chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee.
Galloway has served on the committee for 10 years and was the Democratic vice chairman. He replaces Rep. Marc Gergely, who is facing corruption charges.
“Chairman Galloway is committed to standing up for Pennsylvania’s working families. He’s someone who can reach across the aisle to build coalitions and get things done,” Dermody said. “John’s long background on the committee and his familiarity with key people in labor and industry will help him to hit the ground running as chairman.
“With bills pending on the minimum wage, workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation, John’s knowledge and his ability to reach consensus solutions will be put to use as Democrats work to protect the wages and hard-won rights of working people.”
Galloway said, “I’m honored to chair this important committee after making an effort over the years to understand all sides of labor issues. As demonstrated by my work on difficult issues such as the 2012 law to apply the federal E-Verify system to all public works projects, we can get more done in Pennsylvania when legislators work together across party lines.”
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Meanwhile, Galloway has introduced a bill that would expand E-Verify requirements that were first signed into law in 2012.
House Bill 1881 would require all Pennsylvania employers in the private construction field to confirm the legal employment status of all employees through the federal E-Verify program.
“This is a natural expansion of my law from 2012, which requires all contractors bidding on any job which requires prevailing wages use E-Verify to confirm all employees are legally permitted to work in the United States,” Galloway said. “Prevailing wage rules apply to public construction jobs for state, county or other municipal agencies and public authorities and school districts.
“That law has been very successful, and so requiring the same requirements for all construction employees is the logical next step.”
E-Verify is a voluntary federal program that can quickly compare databases to compare Social Security numbers and Department of Homeland Security records to determine if a potential employee is permitted to work in the United States.
Galloway added that about 40 co-sponsors, both Democratic and Republican, have signed on to support the bill.
