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USDOL to Offer Online Prevailing Wage Seminars in 2025

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Wage and Hour Division
March 14, 2025

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will offer compliance seminars for contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders on the requirements for paying prevailing wages on federally funded construction and service contracts.

Part of the continuing effort by the division to increase awareness and improve compliance, the two-day seminars will offer sessions on the labor standards protections in the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act, including how the department sets and administers prevailing wages and other topics. Participants can choose among the sessions offered either of the two days.

The upcoming seminars are scheduled on March 18-19, June 25-26 and Sept. 24-25.

The seminars are free to attend but registration is required. Additional information and a link to the online seminars will be sent to registered participants.

For additional information on prevailing wage compliance, the division also has an updated video library on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, the Service Contract Act and various executive orders, as well as a prevailing wage resource book.

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Study: Construction, building trades brought $8B to West Virginia

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Jessica Patterson
February 28, 2025

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A new economic impact study is highlighting the importance of trades in the Mountain State.

The West Virginia Building and Construction Trades Council worked with the Marshall Center for Business and Economic Research to underscore the contributions of building and construction. Their study’s findings show that the trades generated more than $8 billion in economic impact from 2022 to 2023.

According to the study, wages and benefits contributed to about $2 billion of that.

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Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek affirms commitment to controversial executive order on labor as opponents scramble to push back

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Carlos Fuentes
February 7, 2025

Gov. Tina Kotek has affirmed her commitment to her union-friendly executive order that sparked widespread opposition from construction trade groups and Republican lawmakers.

Now, those opponents are weighing their options to fight back while Democratic lawmakers, who hold large majorities in both legislative chambers, are mostly staying silent.

The order, signed Dec. 18, requires state agencies to negotiate and sign labor agreements with contractors on all major state-funded construction projects for which labor makes up at least 15% of the total costs.

Under the executive order, state agencies must negotiate wages, working conditions and benefits for all workers. In return, contractors must follow strict labor dispute procedures to prevent walkouts and hire workers who are typically more skilled and experienced.

The mandate does not apply to affordable housing or higher education institutions, the governor’s office clarified after the executive order was issued. Also, agencies can directly ask Kotek’s office for exemptions for specific projects.

The executive order came just weeks before lawmakers arrived in Salem last month for a months-long legislative session that will involve crafting a major transportation funding package. That package is likely to contain millions of dollars for large capital projects that will be affected by the governor’s order.

Proponents of the order, including unions, argue that mandating so-called project labor agreements helps maintain a high standard of quality work conditions and adequate wages and leads to lower construction costs and timelines. But opponents question those assertions and wonder how limiting competition among construction firms is good for taxpayers.

When Kotek’s office announced the executive order, she said the mandate would help guarantee Oregonians “know that public dollars are spent efficiently and benefit the communities in which they’re spent.”

Opponents, meanwhile, argue that the governor overstepped her authority and say the mandate will disproportionately hurt small and rural contractors and lead to higher costs and delayed construction timelines.

The executive order “completely undermines the whole point of public contracting laws that are in place,” said Mike Salsgiver, chief executive of the Oregon chapter of Associated General Contractors.

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St. Louis Board of Aldermen unanimously approves prevailing wage bill

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Tim Rowden
February 24, 2025

St. Louis – The St. Louis Board of Alderman has unanimously approved a bill that adds prevailing wage requirements to incentivized projects such as TIFs and tax abatement projects and includes apprenticeship healthcare requirements to those projects.

The legislation, Board Bill 155 (BB 155), sponsored by Alderman Bret Narayan (Ward 4), received unanimous approval on Feb. 11, following a lengthy hearing before the Transportation and Commerce Committee on Jan. 30.

“I want to thank Alderman Narayan for filing the legislation and getting it across the finish line,” said Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO. “This is the culmination of an effort lead by Clint McBride (government affairs director) of Laborers Local 110 and John Stiffler (secretary treasurer) of the St. Louis Building Trades. By working with Mayor Jones’ administration, they were able to craft legislation that will have real meaningful impact on the construction industry.”

The bill, which awaits Mayor Jones’ signature, requires Prevailing Wage on city construction projects of $75,000 or more, and codifies into law women and minority participation goals, residency requirements, and apprenticeship requirements on all abated, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) projects, or city funded projects.

On projects of $400,000 or above, the bill sets a uniform goal that a minimum 20 percent of each contractor’s labor hours be performed by those who are enrolled in an apprenticeship program and sets a goal of 25 percent of labor hours be performed by minorities and seven percent of all contract labor hours be performed by women. In addition, the legislation requires employers to provide healthcare coverage that meets the minimum value standard set out in the Affordable Care Act, unless an employee voluntarily opts out of such coverage, at no cost to the employee.

“Helping to ensure an even playing field for workers is something we should all strive for,” Hummel said. “We all should demand accountability of our tax dollars. This bill goes a long way toward ensuring that bad actors will be held accountable. I look forward to Mayor Jones signing the bill in the near future. Also want to thank Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer (Ward 1) for her dedication to this bill and our members.”

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Five Orlando Residents Indicted For Scheme To Facilitate Evasion Of Payroll Taxes And Workers’ Compensation Requirements In Construction Industry

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U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida
Thursday, October 24, 2024

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of two indictments charging Eduardo Anibal Escobar (44), Carlos Alberto Rodriguez (45), Adelmy Tejada (56), Rene Mauricio Escobar (53), and Juana Nelida Escobar (45), all residents of Orlando, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and each tax fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. The indictments also notify the defendants that the United States intends to seek forfeiture of a total of at least $19 million as well as five residential properties located in Orlando, which are proceeds of the alleged wire fraud offenses.

According to the indictment, the defendants established companies that purported to supply labor for construction contractors. Florida law requires any business that engages in construction work to secure and maintain workers’ compensation insurance. The defendants applied for workers’ compensation insurance policies to cover a few employees and a minimal payroll. The defendants then entered into agreements with construction work crews, often consisting of undocumented aliens, pursuant to which the defendants submitted paperwork to construction contractors to obtain work for the work crews, falsely representing that the workers were the companies’ employees. The workers then performed construction work under the supervision and direction of the contractors.

The contractors wrote payroll checks to the defendants’ companies for this work and provided the checks to work crew leaders. The checks were deposited into bank accounts in the name of the defendants’ companies and the defendants withdrew cash, and sometimes wrote checks, for the workers’ pay and provided the cash and checks to the work crew leaders. However, before turning over the payroll, the defendants deducted a 6% to 8% fee for their services. The funneling of payroll from the contractors to the work crews in this way allowed the contractors and the work crews to disclaim responsibility for ensuring that required payroll taxes were paid, that adequate workers’ compensation insurance was provided, and that the workers were legally authorized to work in the United States.

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Department of Labor seeks Kentucky highway construction industry’s input to set accurate prevailing wage, fringe benefits for workers

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Wage and Hour Division
October 28, 2024

The U.S. Department of Labor encourages employers and others in Kentucky’s highway construction industry to complete a statewide prevailing wage rates survey to help its Wage and Hour Division establish accurate pay and fringe benefits for workers on federally funded and assisted construction projects.

The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts require the department to set the prevailing wage rates that reflect the actual wages and fringe benefits paid to construction workers in the county where the work occurs.

The survey asks participants to provide information on wages employers paid on highway projects in Kentucky where construction occurred from Nov. 4, 2023, to Feb. 4, 2025. Not limited to federally funded construction projects, survey findings help the division in publishing accurate prevailing wage and fringe benefit rates in areas surveyed. Correct determinations also save contractors time spent requesting additional labor classifications. The department encourages all industry employers and stakeholders to participate.

The division strongly encourages online survey completion by Feb. 4, 2025, and will send notification letters to interested parties and contractors known to the agency with directions on how to access and complete the survey. To request a survey by mail or receive more information, contact the division’s Davis-Bacon Survey Center at (866) 236-2773 or email Davisbaconinfo@dol.gov.

Learn more about the surveys.

The Wage and Hour Division will provide two online briefings at no cost to employers and stakeholders to learn more about the survey process and obtain instructions for survey completion on Nov. 6 and Nov. 7, 2024. Register here to attend an upcoming briefing.

 

Register Now (11/21) EARNTalk: Advancing Equity and Worker Power in Apprenticeship Systems in Your State

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November 4, 2024

High-Road Pathways to Union Construction Jobs: Advancing Equity and Worker Power in Apprenticeship Systems in Your State
2-3 pm ET, Thursday, November 21

Register here: Register

Celebrate National Apprenticeship Week with a discussion of state strategies for expanding high-road apprenticeship training systems. Right now, massive federal clean energy and infrastructure investments are spurring demand for skilled trades workers. Making sure these new jobs are good union jobs will require expanding access to registered apprenticeship programs, especially for Black, brown, and women workers historically excluded from many skilled trades occupations. How can state advocates and labor partners seize this moment of opportunity to advance worker power and equity in construction jobs?

Our line-up of experts will cover key questions including:
What is a registered apprenticeship? What’s the “union difference” in apprenticeship training, and how can state advocates partner with building trades unions to expand high-road training programs?
How do federal and state policy frameworks shape apprenticeship systems, and what do data show about current trends in apprenticeship training?
What opportunities exist to leverage federal funds to strengthen and expand apprenticeship programs that lead to good union jobs?

Speakers will include:
Melissa Wells, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU)
Erin O’Brien-Hofmann, Finishing Trades Institute, Philadelphia
Russ Ormiston, Institute for Construction Employment Research (ICERES)
Steve Herzenbeg and Claire Kovach, Keystone Research Center

Join us to learn more about registered apprenticeship, strategies for expanding access to high-road apprenticeship training, and data that can inform work to achieve better job quality and more equitable outcomes for women and people of color in your state’s construction industry.

USDOL to Offer Online Prevailing Wage Seminars in 2025

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Wage and Hour Division
October 21, 2024

Washington – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division will offer compliance seminars for contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders on the requirements for paying prevailing wages on federally funded construction and service contracts.

Part of the continuing effort by the division to increase awareness and improve compliance, the two-day seminars will offer sessions on the labor standards protections in the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act, including how the department sets and administers prevailing wages and other topics. Participants can choose among the sessions offered either of the two days.

The upcoming seminars are scheduled on Nov. 13-14, 2024, and from March 18-19, June 25-26 and Sept. 24-25 in 2025.

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Department of Labor offers online seminar on prevailing wages for employers, workers on federally funded projects Aug. 29

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Wage and Hour Division
August 6, 2024

WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced its Wage and Hour Division will offer contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders an opportunity to attend an online seminar on Aug. 29 on requirements for paying prevailing wages on federally funded construction and service contracts.

Part of the division’s continuing effort to increase awareness and improve compliance, the day-long seminar will offer sessions on the labor standards protections in the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act – including how the department sets and administers prevailing wages – and other topics.

“Prevailing wage laws empower workers by ensuring that federally funded construction and service jobs are good jobs with fair wages and benefits,” said Wage and Hour Administrator Jessica Looman. “The Biden-Harris administration’s historic investments in our nation’s infrastructure means a significant increase in the number of federal and federally funded projects, and the Wage and Hour Division is committed to ensuring stakeholders understand the labor standards protections critical to these investments.”

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Project labor agreements are good for the state and job growth

Posted by National Alliance for Fair Contracting on

Elizabeth Warren
Chrissy Lynch
August 6, 2024

In the past three years, the Biden-Harris administration has delivered more than $20 billion in federal investment to Massachusetts. Thanks to four historic pieces of legislation — the American Rescue Plan Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — the United States is building roads and bridges, expanding broadband access, upgrading public transit and energy infrastructure, switching to electric school buses, funding research and innovation, supporting firefighters, and enabling community projects.

When these federal dollars flow into Massachusetts, project labor agreements help ensure that they support job growth. With a long history in both the public and private sectors, PLAs are collective bargaining agreements between workers and contractors that ensure good wages and benefits, safe working conditions, and sustained investment in the local economy and workforce. Under a PLA, Vineyard Wind will power 400,000 Massachusetts homes and businesses and generate nearly 1,000 union jobs — while it reduces emissions by 1.6 million tons and energy costs by $1.4 billion.

PLAs also ensure that federally supported jobs create meaningful opportunities across the board. Currently, Massachusetts Building Trades Unions train 80 percent of all apprentices of color and 88 percent of all women apprentices in our state, and they have been critical to achieving the Commonwealth’s diversity goals for construction. Under a PLA, Encore Boston Harbor casino employed more women than any project in history.

Those opportunities make a real difference. Nationwide, collective bargaining agreements raise wages for workers by 10.2 percent on average. They also help close racial wage gaps, boosting pay for Black workers by 13.1 percent and for Hispanic workers by 18.8 percent, and narrow the gender wage gap from 78 cents on the dollar to 83 cents.

Even so, some take issue with PLAs. To skeptics, we say, first, that if Massachusetts ditched PLAs, we’d lose out on federal funding that is tied to them. But it’s more than that. Multiple studies have found that PLAs do not increase project costs. In fact, to the extent that PLAs support union standards, costs are actually lowered. A 2022 study of 1,550 US construction projects found that use of union labor reduces overall costs by 4 percent.

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