Department of Labor Proposes Rule to Strengthen Prevailing Wage

On March 11, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced stronger rules to enforce Davis-Bacon protections for construction workers across the US. The rule change “represents the most comprehensive review of the Davis-Bacon Act regulations in 40 years,” said the DOL press release. “The proposal seeks to speed up prevailing wage updates, creating several efficiencies in the current system and ensuring prevailing wage rates keep up with actual wages.”

“The Davis-Bacon Act has played an important role making certain that federal government projects are done by skilled craftworkers,” said BAC President Tim Driscoll after the announcement. “The rule will restore and strengthen Davis-Bacon protections for federally assisted projects and make certain that the federal government does not depress local wage standards.”

“Many of the proposed regulatory changes will improve the departments’ ability to administer and enforce DBRA labor standards more effectively and efficiently,” said the DOL. To read a list of the changes go to https://bit.ly/3NjQpQW

“Federal dollars should be used to create good jobs in local communities all across our country,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. “These proposed regulations are good for workers, good for building high-quality infrastructure and for ensuring we have a strong construction industry, as we rebuild America.”

“I applaud Secretary Walsh and the Biden Administration for taking strong action to protect local wage standards from low road employers, and ensure that construction workers are paid fair wages for their work,” President Driscoll continued. “This is what support of American workers looks like.”