By: Daily Record Staff
March 18, 2022
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and members of the Board of Estimates (BOE) approved an increase in the city’s prevailing wage for workers in the construction trades.
The increase would boost the base rate for laborers from $8 per hour to $22 per hour, totaling an approximate rate of $43,000 annually. The Prevailing Wages for Workers Under Construction Contracts law, among other things, requires workers to be paid regularly and no less than the approved prevailing wage.
This decision comes after the Baltimore City Wage Commission, housed within the Office of Equity and Civil Rights (OECR), reviewed the 2021 wage rates – and years prior – compared to wages for similar trades in surrounding jurisdictions.
This process was guided by an equitable lens, in line with Scott’s commitment to leveling the playing field in Baltimore, even for the city’s most overlooked workers. As a result, it was determined that the rates for laborers needed to be significantly increased.
This increase pertains to Baltimore construction contracts with a minimum value of $5,000 and applies to laborers, mechanics and apprentices working in all construction trades. The Baltimore City prevailing wage law can be found in the Baltimore City Charter, Article 5, Subtitle 25.