WHAT'S NEW?    

California Department of Industrial Relations just updated its Public Works Manual. To obtain your copy go to https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/pwmanualcombined.pdf

You Have to Read the Footnotes.

Many people ignore footnotes in prevailing wage determination However, in many instances, this is where one either identify the correct wage determination or makes a mistake. Here are just a couple of examples:

• Operating Engineers (Building) in Northern California. These rates only apply if the entire project is under $3 million. If the entire project exceeds $3 million then the Operating Engineers (Heavy and Hwy) rates must apply.

• Exceptions to Saturday premium pay is also found in footnotes. Carpenters in Northern California allow workers to voluntarily work Saturday at straight time if the they did not work during the week due to inclement weather or major mechanical breakdown.

However,  for Carpenters is Southern California the exception is for inclement weather, major mechanical breakdown or lack of materials beyond the control of the Employer. Some crafts do not allow for straight time on Saturday regardless of the reason work was not performed during the work week.

• For Plumber Utility Underground Assistant Journeyman, it requires a full journeyman be employed before an assistant journeyman may work on the project.

UPCOMING SEMINARS AND SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Upcoming Training:

No training for the rest of 2023. Happy Holidays.

January 16, 2024 – California Special Districts Association 10 -11a.m. What New in California Prevailing Wage. For more information or to register contact www.csda.net

If you need more training, Deborah Wilder is the presenter on the LCPtracker Academy Prevailing wage workshops. Go to www.LCPtracker.com and select the education tab.



Want to schedule your own prevailing wage workshop?

We will customize a workshop or webinar for you and your Agency/Account. Contact us at: [email protected] 

ANSWER: 

The 15% apprenticeship obligation is triggered when the prime contract is $1million or more. So, if you are working on a smaller project, apprentices are always encouraged, but there is no obligation of contractors to employ apprentices. For projects over $1 million, contractors are required to request apprentices on their project with a goal of 15%. You can certainly employ a higher number of apprentices. Remember that all apprentices must be properly supervised by a journeyman from that same trade anytime they are working on the project. And sometimes there are no apprentices to be dispatched. Nonetheless, it is the employer’s obligation to request apprentices in good faith for projects over $1 million. This rule applies to both open shop as well as union signatory contractors.