The Missouri senate has passed legislation that is changing how the minimum wage required for public construction projects is calculated for rural counties. Currently their projects are being calculated based on volunteer surveys collected and submitted by contractors on public work projects. With this bill passing it allows the wage survey to be split between […]
Tag Archives: Prevailing Wage
Kentucky Serious Injury Rate Rose 11% After Repeal of Prevailing Wage Law
Prevailing wage laws have been instrumental in promoting local economies and creating higher standards of living and a better quality of life for millions of American workers. The study written by Steve Cooper from “Wepartypatriots.com” shows the importance of these laws: In a recent study, when comparing Kansas with 15 other Plains States, injury rose […]
Funding Announced for Solar Manufacturing and Workforce Development
The Energy Department has offered $15 Million for innovations in U.S Solar Manufacturing. This large investment will confirm the future standardization of solar systems in the United States. Two projects recently announced are creating an infrastructure for a new generation of clean energy and providing research opportunities for minority students on DOE projects. To learn […]
California Apprenticeship Programs
Apprenticeships, although equating to only 3% of total construction industry employment, are key to sustaining the workforce that builds California’s public works projects. They allow aspiring construction workers the opportunity to earn good wages with health insurance and retirement benefits as they learn to build the infrastructure upon which California depends. Recently, data from the […]
Prime Contractors to Monitor Subcontractors on Prevailing Wage and Labor Law Requirements
Increasingly prime contractors are finding themselves in hot water with the Department of Labor for their subcontractors’ behavior. Recently, Lettire Construction Corp and 16 of its subcontractors were found to have violated provisions of the federal Davis-Bacon and Related Acts as well as the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act. The filing upholds the […]
E-Verify Law in Pennsylvania
Effective January 1, 2013, in the state of Pennsylvania, all public works contractors and sub-contractors will be mandated to use and enroll in E-Verify. Public work is defined as construction, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, and/or repair work other than maintenance done under contract in excess of $25,000. Under the new law, The Public Works Employment Verification Act, public […]
California Supreme Court Changes Prevailing Wage Rule for Charter Cities
Vista, Oceanside, San Marcos, Carlsbad and more than 100 other California charter cities don’t have to pay union-like wages on construction projects funded by local tax dollars, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday. Vista claims to have saved an estimated $2 million on labor by paying less than “prevailing rates” when it spent $100 million on a […]
Federal Davis-Bacon Requirements: Statute of Limitations & Burden of Proof
The time period when a claim can be made against a contractor for unpaid wages is generally 2 years, 3 years if the violation is found to be willful. It is recommended that contractors keep all certified payrolls and related documents for at least three years from the completion of the project. In any investigation relating to […]
Federal Davis-Bacon Requirements: Trainees & Helpers
Unless the specific Davis-Bacon wage classification recognizes a Trainee or Helper as one of the specified classifications, then a contractor may not pay workers less than the specified prevailing wage rate for the classification of worker. Persons registered and receiving on-the-job training in a construction occupation under a program that has been approved in advance by DOL’s Employment […]
Federal Davis-Bacon Requirements: Apprentices
A contractor may employ apprentices and pay the applicable apprenticeship rate only for those individuals who are properly enrolled in a Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT) program. The BAT may have agreements with various state apprenticeship agencies so that many (but not all) apprenticeship programs have both BAT and local state approval. Only those workers […]