Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8 § 16200

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 50, December 13, 2024

Section 16200 - General; Basis for Determining Prevailing Wage Rate

The Director shall follow those procedures specified in Sections 1773 and 1777.5 of the Labor Code and in these regulations when making a prevailing wage determination.

(a) Collective Bargaining Agreements or Wage Surveys.

(1) Filing of collective bargaining agreements.

(A) To enable the Director to ascertain and consider the applicable wage rates established by collective bargaining agreements when making prevailing wage determinations, the representatives of any crafts, classifications, or types of workers needed to execute any public works contracts shall file with the Department of Industrial Relations fully executed copies of all their collective bargaining agreements, including any and all addenda which modify the agreements, within 10 days of their execution and shall be considered as the basis for a prevailing wage determination whenever on file 30 days before the call for bids on a project.

(B) Copies of collective bargaining agreements filed with the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to Sections 1773.1 and 1773.8 of the Labor Code, and Section 16200(a)(1)(A) of these regulations shall be addressed to: Chief, Division of Labor Statistics and Research, P.O. Box 420603, San Francisco, CA 94142.

(C) Collective bargaining agreements filed with the Division of Labor Statistics and Research must be accompanied by a signed statement which is certified as true and correct to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person preparing the statement, under penalty of perjury, and which:

1. certifies that the agreement filed is fully executed and in effect, unless it is a signed original agreement or photocopy thereof, or a printed copy of a fully executed agreement showing the names of the signatory parties, except in the case of a printed agreement the Director may require certification;

2. names or otherwise identifies all California counties within the jurisdiction of the local union or unions signatory to the agreement;

3. names and provides the address of the signatory employer association or, if there be no signatory employer association, provides the names and addresses of all contractors signatory to the agreement, unless such information is contained in the agreement;

4. provides the number of workers currently employed under the terms of the agreement and, if practicable, the number of workers in each county within the jurisdiction of the signatory local union or unions;

5. provides any other information not contained in the agreement that the Director may need to give proper consideration to applicable wage rates established by collective bargaining.

(D) Copies of collective bargaining agreements which are not bona fide shall not be deemed filed. The party filing a contract may be asked to substantiate the assertion that such collective bargaining agreement is bona fide.

(2) Criteria for using collective bargaining agreement wage rates as basis of prevailing wage determinations. Before accepting the collective bargaining agreement wage rate for the applicable craft and locality, DLSR shall take the following factors into consideration:

(A) The geographical area(s) specified in the agreement;

(B) The number of workers covered by the agreement;

(C) If signatory parties to the agreement have workers in the geographical area(s);

(D) If work has been performed in the geographical area(s) specified in the agreement in the past 12 months;

(E) The wage rates determined by the federal government as set forth in Section 16200(b).

(3) Adoption of Collective Bargaining Agreements.

(A) If the Director determines pursuant to Section 1773 of the Labor Code that the rate established by a collective bargaining agreement is the general prevailing rate of per diem wages for each craft, classification or type of worker and the Director adopts such rate by referral, the Director will publish such rate. Only those rates and employer payments specifically enumerated in the definition of "general prevailing rate of per diem wages" in Section 16000 shall be included in the rate adopted.

(B) When such rate is adopted, and in the case where the collective bargaining agreement contains definite and predetermined changes during its term which will affect the rate adopted, the Director shall incorporate such changes in the determination.

NOTE: A statement must be filed with the Director for any adjustments made to a contract which are not contained in the agreement currently on file with DLSR.

(C) When such rate is adopted, and in the case where the collective bargaining agreement contains changes during its term which will affect the rate adopted, which are not definite or predetermined, the changes shall not be adopted. The prior determination will remain in effect until a new determination is issued. Any interested party may request that the Director make a new determination when contract changes become definite and determined by filing a statement as set forth in Section 16200(a)(1). The statement must summarize the amounts and effective dates of any cost-of-living adjustments, allocations of interim wage increases to wages and employer payments, and other relevant changes which will affect the rate adopted by the Director. The statement must be signed by an officer or agent of the bargaining representative and certified, under penalty of perjury, as true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge and belief.

(D) When such agreement is adopted as the basis of the prevailing wage determination, all wage classifications may be considered.

(E) Holidays. Holidays specifically named in the collective bargaining agreement or determined by wage surveys shall be included in the wage determination. Overtime pay may be required as provided in Section 16200(a)(3)(F) of these regulations.

(F) Overtime. Overtime will be paid as indicated in the wage determination.

EXCEPTION 1: If a workweek other than Monday through Friday is a fixed business practice or is required by the awarding body, no overtime payment is required for the first eight hours on Saturday or Sunday.

EXCEPTION 2: If the collective bargaining agreement provides for Saturday and Sunday work at straight-time, no overtime payment is required for the first eight hours on Saturday or Sunday.

EXCEPTION 3: If the awarding body determines that work cannot be performed during normal business hours or work is necessary at off hours to avoid danger to life or property, no overtime is required for the first eight hours in any one calendar day, and 40 hours during any one calendar week.

EXCEPTION 4: No overtime payment is required for less than 40 hours in a standard work week or for less than eight hours in a calendar workday unless specified in the collective bargaining agreement used as the basis for the prevailing wage determination.

(G) Wage rates, training contributions and apprenticeship contributions. Apprenticeship rates shall be determined by the Director of Industrial Relations using apprentice wage standards set forth in the collective bargaining agreement and/or approved by the California Apprenticeship Council. A contractor or subcontractor on a public works contract must pay training fund contributions or apprenticeship contributions in one of the following manners:

1. into the appropriate craft apprenticeship program in the area of the site of the public work; or

2. (if the trust fund is unable to accept such contributions) an equivalent amount shall be paid to the California Apprenticeship Council (CAC) administered by DAS.

3. If neither of the above will accept the funds, cash pay shall be as provided for in Section 16200(a)(3)(I) of these regulations.

(H) Rates for helpers. Rates for helpers will be published when the information available to the Director indicates that a practice of using such a subclassification prevails in a particular area, such as contained in a collective bargaining agreement, and within the parameters of the applicable collective bargaining agreement. In the absence of such determination, the helper classification may not be used as a substitute for a journeyman or apprentice. This section does not exempt the contractor from the 1-5 apprentice-journeyman ratio requirements set forth in Labor Code Section 1777.5.

(I) Credit Available For Actual Payment of Fringe Benefit Costs up to the Prevailing Amount. The contractor obligated to pay the full prevailing rate of per diem wages may take credit for amounts up to the total of all fringe benefit amounts listed as prevailing in the appropriate wage determination. This credit may be taken only as to amounts which are actual payments under Employer Payments Section 16000(1)-(3). In the event the total of Employer Payments by a contractor for the fringe benefits listed as prevailing is less than the aggregate amount set out as prevailing in the wage determination, the contractor must pay the difference directly to the employee. No amount of credit for payments over the aggregate amount of employer payments shall be taken nor shall any credit decrease the amount of direct payment of hourly wages of those amounts found to be prevailing for straight time or overtime wages.

(b) Federal Rates. In reviewing rates predetermined for federal public works, the Director will consider those rates published pursuant to the Davis-Bacon Act.

(c) Data collection shall be in accordance with Labor Code Section 1773.

(d) Wage rate factors.

NOTE: Wage surveys are conducted by DLSR.

(1) The following factors shall be considered:

(A) Type of work to be performed;

(B) Classification(s) of worker(s) needed;

(C) Geographical area of project;

(D) Nearest labor market area;

(E) If work has been performed in the geographical area in the past 12 months.

(F) Mobility of craft, classification, or type of worker needed for project;

(G) Number of workers in craft or job classification;

(H) Normal industry practice in selection of craft and classification of worker;

(I) Size (dollar amount) of project;

(J) Degree of project's remoteness from survey area.

(2) Time period used in determining prevailing wage by survey. The time period reference for establishing the prevailing wage in the area of determination shall be the 12-month period prior to the request for a wage determination unless another time period is necessary. In such cases, the Director shall establish the appropriate time period.

(e) Other information. Pursuant to Section 1773 of the Labor Code, the Director may also obtain and consider other data from interested parties, and shall give consideration to data submitted by any interested party, concerning rates actually paid on public or private projects under construction or recently completed in the locality and in the nearest labor market area. Such data may be obtained by holding a hearing, instituting an investigation, or by such other means as the Director determines will best serve the purposes of the law. Information submitted by interested parties for the Director's consideration shall include, but not be limited to the following for each project:

(1) the name, address, job title, and telephone number of the interested party submitting the information and the basis for qualification as an interested party under Section 16102;

(2) the basic hourly wage rate, overtime and holiday pay rates, and employer payments as enumerated in Section 16000 of these regulations for each classification in question as effective for the last payroll period, or most recent payroll period, for which payments based on such rates were actually made;

(3) the number of workers employed on the project in each classification in question during the payroll period for which data is submitted;

(4) the location of the project;

(5) the name and address of the contractor or subcontractor making the payments, and of all other contractors or subcontractors on the project;

(6) the type of construction (e.g. residential, commercial building, etc.);

(7) the approximate cost of construction;

(8) the beginning date and completion date, or estimated completion date of the project;

(9) the source of data (e.g. "payroll records");

(10) the method of selection of the projects for which data is submitted, when data is not submitted for all projects recently completed or in progress in the locality or in the nearest labor market area.

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 16200

1. Order of Repeal of subsection (a)(3)(E) filed 8-24-88 by OAL pursuant to Government Code section 11340.15 (Register 88, No. 35).
2. Amendment of subsections (a)(1), (a)(3) and (b) filed 2-20-92; operative 3-23-92 (Register 92, No. 13).
3. Repealer of subsection (a)(3)(B), subsection relettering, and amendment of newly designated subsections (a)(3)(B), (a)(3)(D), and (a)(3)(F)(3) filed 12-27-96; operative 1-26-97 (Register 96, No. 52).
4. Amendment of subsection (b) filed 12-27-96; operative 1-26-97 (Register 96, No. 52).
5. Change without regulatory effect repealing 12-27-96 amendments filed 2-19-99 (Register 99, No. 8). Pursuant to Sacramento Superior Court Order Issued 6-4-97 in Case 97CS 00471 the amendments filed 12-27-96 and effective 1-27-97 were invalidated and the prior regulations were reinstated.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 1773 and 1773.5, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 1770, 1771, 1773, 1773.1, 1773.5, 1773.8, 1777.5, 1810 and 1815, Labor Code.