HB5212eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB5212 Engrossed LRB097 19755 JLS 65018 b

AN ACT concerning wages.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Prevailing Wage Act is amended by changing Section 4 as follows:

(820 ILCS 130/4) (from Ch. 48, par. 39s-4)

Sec. 4. Ascertaining prevailing wage.

(a) The public body awarding any contract for public work or otherwise undertaking any public works, shall ascertain the general prevailing rate of hourly wages in the locality in which the work is to be performed, for each craft or type of worker or mechanic needed to execute the contract, and where the public body performs the work without letting a contract therefor, shall ascertain the prevailing rate of wages on a per hour basis in the locality, and such public body shall specify in the resolution or ordinance and in the call for bids for the contract, that the general prevailing rate of wages in the locality for each craft or type of worker or mechanic needed to execute the contract or perform such work, also the general prevailing rate for legal holiday and overtime work, as ascertained by the public body or by the Department of Labor shall be paid for each craft or type of worker needed to execute the contract or to perform such work, and it shall be mandatory upon the contractor to whom the contract is awarded and upon any subcontractor under him, and where the public body performs the work, upon the public body, to pay not less than the specified rates to all laborers, workers and mechanics employed by them in the execution of the contract or such work; provided, however, that if the public body desires that the Department of Labor ascertain the prevailing rate of wages, it shall notify the Department of Labor to ascertain the general prevailing rate of hourly wages for work under contract, or for work performed by a public body without letting a contract as required in the locality in which the work is to be performed, for each craft or type of worker or mechanic needed to execute the contract or project or work to be performed. Upon such notification the Department of Labor shall ascertain such general prevailing rate of wages, and certify the prevailing wage to such public body.

(a-1) The public body or other entity awarding the contract shall cause to be inserted in the project specifications and the contract a stipulation to the effect that not less than the prevailing rate of wages as found by the public body or Department of Labor or determined by the court on review shall be paid to all laborers, workers and mechanics performing work under the contract.

(a-2) When a public body or other entity covered by this Act has awarded work to a contractor without a public bid, contract or project specification, such public body or other entity shall comply with subsection (a-1) by providing the contractor with written notice on the purchase order related to the work to be done or on a separate document indicating that not less than the prevailing rate of wages as found by the public body or Department of Labor or determined by the court on review shall be paid to all laborers, workers, and mechanics performing work on the project.

(a-3) Where a complaint is made and the Department of Labor determines that a violation occurred, the Department of Labor shall determine if proper written notice under this Section 4 was given. If proper written notice was not provided to the contractor by the public body or other entity, the Department of Labor shall order the public body or other entity to pay any interest, penalties or fines that would have been owed by the contractor if proper written notice were provided. The failure by a public body or other entity to provide written notice does not relieve the contractor of the duty to comply with the prevailing wage rate, nor of the obligation to pay any back wages, as determined under this Act. For the purposes of this subsection, back wages shall be limited to the difference between the actual amount paid and the prevailing rate of wages required to be paid for the project. The failure of a public body or other entity to provide written notice under this Section 4 does not diminish the right of a laborer, worker, or mechanic to the prevailing rate of wages as determined under this Act.

(b) It shall also be mandatory upon the contractor to whom the contract is awarded to insert into each subcontract and into the project specifications for each subcontract a written stipulation to the effect that not less than the prevailing rate of wages shall be paid to all laborers, workers, and mechanics performing work under the contract. It shall also be mandatory upon each subcontractor to cause to be inserted into each lower tiered subcontract and into the project specifications for each lower tiered subcontract a stipulation to the effect that not less than the prevailing rate of wages shall be paid to all laborers, workers, and mechanics performing work under the contract. A contractor or subcontractor who fails to comply with this subsection (b) is in violation of this Act.

(b-1) When a contractor has awarded work to a subcontractor without a contract or contract specification, the contractor shall comply with subsection (b) by providing a subcontractor with a written statement indicating that not less than the prevailing rate of wages shall be paid to all laborers, workers, and mechanics performing work on the project. A contractor or subcontractor who fails to comply with this subsection (b-1) is in violation of this Act.

(b-2) Where a complaint is made and the Department of Labor determines that a violation has occurred, the Department of Labor shall determine if proper written notice under this Section 4 was given. If proper written notice was not provided to the subcontractor by the contractor, the Department of Labor shall order the contractor to pay any interest, penalties, or fines that would have been owed by the subcontractor if proper written notice were provided. The failure by a contractor to provide written notice to a subcontractor does not relieve the subcontractor of the duty to comply with the prevailing wage rate, nor of the obligation to pay any back wages, as determined under this Act. For the purposes of this subsection, back wages shall be limited to the difference between the actual amount paid and the prevailing rate of wages required for the project. However, if proper written notice was not provided to the contractor by the public body or other entity under this Section 4, the Department of Labor shall order the public body or other entity to pay any interest, penalties, or fines that would have been owed by the subcontractor if proper written notice were provided. The failure by a public body or other entity to provide written notice does not relieve the subcontractor of the duty to comply with the prevailing wage rate, nor of the obligation to pay any back wages, as determined under this Act. For the purposes of this subsection, back wages shall be limited to the difference between the actual amount paid and the prevailing rate of wages required for the project. The failure to provide written notice by a public body, other entity, or contractor does not diminish the right of a laborer, worker, or mechanic to the prevailing rate of wages as determined under this Act.

(c) A public body or other entity shall also require in all contractor's and subcontractor's bonds that the contractor or subcontractor include such provision as will guarantee the faithful performance of such prevailing wage clause as provided by contract or other written instrument. All bid specifications shall list the specified rates to all laborers, workers and mechanics in the locality for each craft or type of worker or mechanic needed to execute the contract.

(d) If the Department of Labor revises the prevailing rate of hourly wages to be paid by the public body or other entity, the revised rate shall apply to such contract, and the public body or other entity shall be responsible to notify the contractor and each subcontractor, of the revised rate.

The public body or other entity shall discharge its duty to notify of the revised rates by inserting a written stipulation in all contracts or other written instruments that states the prevailing rate of wages are revised by the Department of Labor and are available on the Department's official website. This shall be deemed to be proper notification of any rate changes under this subsection.

(e) Two or more investigatory hearings under this Section on the issue of establishing a new prevailing wage classification for a particular craft or type of worker shall be consolidated in a single hearing before the Department. Such consolidation shall occur whether each separate investigatory hearing is conducted by a public body or the Department. The party requesting a consolidated investigatory hearing shall have the burden of establishing that there is no existing prevailing wage classification for the particular craft or type of worker in any of the localities under consideration.

(f) It shall be mandatory upon the contractor or construction manager to whom a contract for public works is awarded to post, at a location on the project site of the public works that is easily accessible to the workers engaged on the project, the prevailing wage rates for each craft or type of worker or mechanic needed to execute the contract or project or work to be performed. In lieu of posting on the project site of the public works, a contractor which has a business location where laborers, workers, and mechanics regularly visit may: (1) post in a conspicuous location at that business the current prevailing wage rates for each county in which the contractor is performing work; or (2) provide such laborer, worker, or mechanic engaged on the public works project a written notice indicating the prevailing wage rates for the public works project. A failure to post or provide a prevailing wage rate as required by this Section is a violation of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07; 96-437, eff. 1-1-10.)