SB1550 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 06409 AEK 46491 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1550

Introduced 2/9/2011, by Sen. William R. Haine

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

820 ILCS 130/2	from Ch. 48, par. 39s-2
820 ILCS 130/3	from Ch. 48, par. 39s-3
820 ILCS 130/4	from Ch. 48, par. 39s-4

Amends the Prevailing Wage Act. Provides that for a laborer, worker, or mechanic engaged in the transportation of aggregate or excavated materials or the operation of equipment to haul aggregate or excavated materials to or from the site of the building or construction job, the Department of Labor shall take into consideration the applicable prevailing wage rate and the Illinois Department of Transportation's current method of establishing equipment rates for trucks on public works projects. Defines various terms.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning employment.

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 Sections 2, 3, and 4 as follows:

(820 ILCS 130/2) (from Ch. 48, par. 39s-2)

Sec. 2. This Act applies to the wages of laborers, mechanics and other workers employed in any public works, as hereinafter defined, by any public body and to anyone under contracts for public works. This includes any maintenance, repair, assembly, or disassembly work performed on equipment whether owned, leased, or rented.

As used in this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise:

"Public works" means all fixed works constructed or demolished by any public body, or paid for wholly or in part out of public funds. "Public works" as defined herein includes all projects financed in whole or in part with bonds, grants, loans, or other funds made available by or through the State or any of its political subdivisions, including but not limited to: bonds issued under the Industrial Project Revenue Bond Act (Article 11, Division 74 of the Illinois Municipal Code), the Industrial Building Revenue Bond Act, the Illinois Finance Authority Act, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority Act, or the Build Illinois Bond Act; loans or other funds made available pursuant to the Build Illinois Act; or funds from the Fund for Illinois' Future under Section 6z-47 of the State Finance Act, funds for school construction under Section 5 of the General Obligation Bond Act, funds authorized under Section 3 of the School Construction Bond Act, funds for school infrastructure under Section 6z-45 of the State Finance Act, and funds for transportation purposes under Section 4 of the General Obligation Bond Act. "Public works" also includes (i) all projects financed in whole or in part with funds from the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity under the Illinois Renewable Fuels Development Program Act for which there is no project labor agreement and (ii) all work performed pursuant to a public private agreement under the Public Private Agreements for the Illiana Expressway Act. "Public works" also includes all projects at leased facility property used for airport purposes under Section 35 of the Local Government Facility Lease Act. "Public works" also includes the construction of a new wind power facility by a business designated as a High Impact Business under Section 5.5(a)(3)(E) of the Illinois Enterprise Zone Act. "Public works" does not include work done directly by any public utility company, whether or not done under public supervision or direction, or paid for wholly or in part out of public funds. "Public works" does not include projects undertaken by the owner at an owner-occupied single-family residence or at an owner-occupied unit of a multi-family residence.

"Construction" means all work on public works involving laborers, workers or mechanics. This includes any maintenance, repair, assembly, or disassembly work performed on equipment whether owned, leased, or rented.

"Locality" means the county where the physical work upon public works is performed, except (1) that if there is not available in the county a sufficient number of competent skilled laborers, workers and mechanics to construct the public works efficiently and properly, "locality" includes any other county nearest the one in which the work or construction is to be performed and from which such persons may be obtained in sufficient numbers to perform the work and (2) that, with respect to contracts for highway work with the Department of Transportation of this State, "locality" may at the discretion of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation be construed to include two or more adjacent counties from which workers may be accessible for work on such construction.

"Public body" means the State or any officer, board or commission of the State or any political subdivision or department thereof, or any institution supported in whole or in part by public funds, and includes every county, city, town, village, township, school district, irrigation, utility, reclamation improvement or other district and every other political subdivision, district or municipality of the state whether such political subdivision, municipality or district operates under a special charter or not.

The terms "general prevailing rate of hourly wages", "general prevailing rate of wages" or "prevailing rate of wages" when used in this Act mean the hourly cash wages plus fringe benefits for training and apprenticeship programs approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training, health and welfare, insurance, vacations and pensions paid generally, in the locality in which the work is being performed, to employees engaged in work of a similar character on public works.

"Aggregate or excavated materials" includes, but is not limited to, rock, gravel, sand, pebbles, dirt, soil, clay, bitumen, cultured/polymer, cement, concrete, asphalt, slag, grindings, and recycled materials.

A "stockpile" is aggregate or excavated materials that are placed in a location for temporary storage when all or substantially all of the aggregate or excavated material is relocated by loading and hauling it to another location for final placement.

"Trucking broker" means an individual or business entity, the activities of which include, but are not limited to:

(1) contracting to provide trucking services in the construction industry to users of such services;

(2) contracting to obtain such service from providers of trucking services;

(3) dispatching the providers of the services to do work as required by the users of the services;

(4) receiving payment from the users in consideration of the trucking services provided; and

(5) making payment to the providers for the services.

"Trucking firm" means any legal business entity that owns one or more vehicles and hires the vehicles out for services to trucking brokers or contractors on public works projects.

"Independent truck owner-operator" means an individual, partnership, or principal stockholder of a corporation who owns or holds a vehicle under lease and who contracts that vehicle and the owner's services to an entity which provides construction services to a public works project.

"Transportation of aggregate or excavated materials" means any required hauling activities on the site of or to or from a public works project or stockpile regardless of whether the activity is performed by the prime contractor, subcontractor, trucking broker, trucking firm, independent contractor, or employee or agent of any of the foregoing entities, and regardless of which entity or person hires or contracts with another. The transportation of aggregate or excavated materials by employees of a contractor or subcontractor that operates an asphalt or concrete plant, that was moved into a gravel pit, borrow pit, or other location not on the project, primarily to serve public works projects is considered work under the contract.

The transportation of aggregate or excavated materials includes, but is not limited to:

(1) the hauling of any or all stockpiled materials on the project work site to other locations on the same project even if the trucks leave the work site at some point;

(2) the delivery of materials from any facility or any stockpile to the project and the return haul to the starting location either empty or loaded;

(3) the delivery of materials from another construction project site to the public works project and the return haul empty or loaded;

(4) the hauling required to remove any materials from the public works project to a location off the project site and the return haul either empty or loaded; and

(5) the delivery of materials by an employee of a seller or supplier and the return haul to the off-site facility or any stockpile empty or loaded by an employee of the seller or supplier.

(Source: P.A. 95-341, eff. 8-21-07; 96-28, eff. 7-1-09; 96-58, eff. 1-1-10; 96-186, eff. 1-1-10; 96-913, eff. 6-9-10; 96-1000, eff. 7-2-10.)

(820 ILCS 130/3) (from Ch. 48, par. 39s-3)

Sec. 3. Not less than the general prevailing rate of hourly wages for work of a similar character on public works in the locality in which the work is performed, and not less than the general prevailing rate of hourly wages for legal holiday and overtime work, shall be paid to all laborers, workers and mechanics employed by or on behalf of any public body engaged in the construction or demolition of public works. This includes any maintenance, repair, assembly, or disassembly work performed on equipment whether owned, leased, or rented. All Only such laborers, workers and mechanics as are directly employed by contractors or subcontractors in actual construction work on the site of the building or construction job shall be deemed to be employed upon public works. Laborers , and laborers, workers and mechanics engaged in the transportation of materials and equipment to or from the site shall also be deemed to be employed upon public works, except that the transportation of non-aggregate materials or equipment , but not including the transportation by the sellers and suppliers or the manufacture or processing of materials or equipment, in the execution of any contract or contracts for public works with any public body shall not be deemed to be employed upon public works. The transportation of aggregate or excavated materials to the job site or stockpile shall be deemed to be employment upon public works. The wage for a tradesman performing maintenance is equivalent to that of a tradesman engaged in construction or demolition.

(Source: P.A. 95-341, eff. 8-21-07; 96-186, eff. 1-1-10.)

(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. For a laborer, worker, or mechanic engaged in the transportation of aggregate or excavated materials or the operation of equipment to haul aggregate or excavated materials to or from the site of the building or construction job, the Department of Labor shall take into consideration the applicable prevailing wage rate and the Illinois Department of Transportation's current method of establishing equipment rates for trucks on public works projects.

(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, the revised rate shall apply to such contract, and the public body shall be responsible to notify the contractor and each subcontractor, of the revised rate.

(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.)