Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Labor Committee |
HB 1072
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Requiring tracking of prevailing wage surveys.
Sponsors: Representatives Manweller, Vick, Condotta and Magendanz.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 1/20/15
Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).
Background:
State law requires that prevailing wages be paid to laborers, workers, and mechanics employed upon all public works and under all public building service maintenance contracts. Public work means all work, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement other than ordinary maintenance that is executed at the cost of the state or any municipality.
The prevailing wage is the hourly wage, usual benefits, and overtime paid in the largest city in each county, to the majority of workers, laborers, or mechanics in the same trade or occupation. If there is not a majority in the same trade or occupation paid at the same rate, then an average wage is calculated and established as the prevailing wage.
To establish the prevailing wage for the various trades and occupations, the industrial statistician of the Department of Labor and Industries (Department) conducts wage surveys. Under the Department's rule, wage and hour surveys will be used only when submitted by certain entities, which in general include:
individual contractors identified by a valid contractor registration number;
certain employers that directly employ and supervise workers in certain industries, such as building service maintenance and shipbuilding or ship repair;
labor unions submitting wage and hour data on behalf of contractors and employers who are signatories to collective bargain agreements; and
interested parties providing wage and hour data from certified payroll records and/or from hours reported on prevailing wage affidavits.
Summary of Bill:
The Department must keep track of the number of surveys it sends and the number of responses it receives from each of the entities currently listed under the Department's rule.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 12, 2015.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.