BILL NUMBER: SB 868 CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 905 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 12, 2003 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 12, 2003 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 11, 2003 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 4, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 30, 2003 INTRODUCED BY Senator Dunn FEBRUARY 21, 2003 An act to amend Section 1773.1 of the Labor Code, relating to public works. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 868, Dunn. Prevailing wages. Existing law governing the obligations of contractors and subcontractors involved in public works projects requires that employees be paid the general prevailing rate of per diem wages. Existing law also provides that per diem wages include employer payments for health and welfare, pension, vacation, travel, and subsistence pay, apprenticeship or other training programs, and similar purposes, and specifies the employer contributions, costs, and payments that employer payments may include. That law prohibits credit from being granted for benefits required to be provided by other state or federal law, and provides that credits for employer payments may not reduce the obligation to pay the hourly straight time or overtime wages found to be prevailing. This bill would provide that per diem wages shall additionally be deemed to include worker protection and assistance programs or committees, and industry advancement and collective bargaining agreements administrative fees, as provided. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 1773.1 of the Labor Code is amended to read: 1773.1. (a) Per diem wages, when the term is used in this chapter or in any other statute applicable to public works, shall be deemed to include employer payments for the following: (1) Health and welfare. (2) Pension. (3) Vacation. (4) Travel. (5) Subsistence. (6) Apprenticeship or other training programs authorized by Section 3093, so long as the cost of training is reasonably related to the amount of the contributions. (7) Worker protection and assistance programs or committees established under the federal Labor Management Cooperation Act of 1978 (Section 175a of Title 29 of the United States Code), to the extent that the activities of the programs or committees are directed to the monitoring and enforcement of laws related to public works. (8) Industry advancement and collective bargaining agreements administrative fees, provided that these payments are required under a collective bargaining agreement pertaining to the particular craft, classification, or type of work within the locality or the nearest labor market area at issue. (9) Other purposes similar to those specified in paragraphs (1) to (8), inclusive. (b) Employer payments include all of the following: (1) The rate of contribution irrevocably made by the employer to a trustee or third person pursuant to a plan, fund, or program. (2) The rate of actual costs to the employer reasonably anticipated in providing benefits to workers pursuant to an enforceable commitment to carry out a financially responsible plan or program communicated in writing to the workers affected. (3) Payments to the California Apprenticeship Council pursuant to Section 1777.5. (c) Employer payments are a credit against the obligation to pay the general prevailing rate of per diem wages. However, no credit shall be granted for benefits required to be provided by other state or federal law. Credits for employer payments also shall not reduce the obligation to pay the hourly straight time or overtime wages found to be prevailing. (d) The credit for employer payments shall be computed on an annualized basis where the employer seeks credit for employer payments that are higher for public works projects than for private construction performed by the same employer, except where one or more of the following occur: (1) The employer has an enforceable obligation to make the higher rate of payments on future private construction performed by the employer. (2) The higher rate of payments is required by a project labor agreement. (3) The payments are made to the California Apprenticeship Council pursuant to Section 1777.5. (4) The director determines that annualization would not serve the purposes of this chapter. (e) (1) For the purpose of determining those per diem wages for contracts, the representative of any craft, classification, or type of worker needed to execute contracts shall file with the Department of Industrial Relations fully executed copies of the collective bargaining agreements for the particular craft, classification, or type of work involved. The collective bargaining agreements shall be filed after their execution and thereafter may be taken into consideration pursuant to Section 1773 whenever filed 30 days prior to the call for bids. If the collective bargaining agreement has not been formalized, a typescript of the final draft may be filed temporarily, accompanied by a statement under penalty of perjury as to its effective date. (2) Where a copy of the collective bargaining agreement has previously been filed, fully executed copies of all modifications and extensions of the agreement that affect per diem wages or holidays shall be filed. (3) The failure to comply with filing requirements of this subdivision shall not be grounds for setting aside a prevailing wage determination if the information taken into consideration is correct.