(1) The hourly rate of wage to be paid by any contractor or subcontractor to workers upon all public works shall be not less than the prevailing rate of wage for an hour’s work in the same trade or occupation in the locality where the labor is performed. The obligation of a contractor or subcontractor to pay the prevailing rate of wage may be discharged by making the payments in cash, by the making of contributions of a type referred to in ORS 279C.800 (1)(a), or by the assumption of an enforceable commitment to bear the costs of a plan or program of a type referred to in ORS 279C.800 (1)(b), or any combination thereof, where the aggregate of any such payments, contributions and costs is not less than the prevailing rate of wage.
(2) After a contract for public works is executed with any contractor or work is commenced upon any public works, the amount of the prevailing rate of wage is not subject to attack in any legal proceeding by any contractor or subcontractor in connection with that contract.
(3) It is not a defense in any legal proceeding that the prevailing rate of wage is less than the amount required to be in the specifications of a contract for public works, or that there was an agreement between the employee and the employer to work at less than the wage rates required to be paid under this section.
(4) Every contractor or subcontractor engaged on a project for which there is a contract for a public works shall keep the prevailing rates of wage for that project posted in a conspicuous and accessible place in or about the project. The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries shall furnish without charge copies of the prevailing rates of wage to contractors and subcontractors.
(5) Every contractor or subcontractor engaged on a project for which there is a contract for a public works to which the prevailing wage requirements apply that also provides or contributes to a health and welfare plan or a pension plan, or both, for the contractor or subcontractor’s employees on the project shall post a notice describing the plan in a conspicuous and accessible place in or about the project. The notice preferably shall be posted in the same place as the notice required under subsection (4) of this section. In addition to the description of the plan, the notice shall contain information on how and where to make claims and where to obtain further information.
(6)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection, no person other than the contractor or subcontractor may pay or contribute any portion of the prevailing rate of wage paid by the contractor or subcontractor to workers employed in the performance of a public works contract.
(b) For the purpose of this subsection, the prevailing rate of wage is the prevailing rate of wage specified in the contract.
(c) This subsection is not intended to prohibit payments to a worker who is enrolled in any government-subsidized training or retraining program.
(7) A person may not take any action that circumvents the payment of the prevailing rate of wage to workers employed on a public works contract, including, but not limited to, reducing an employee’s regular rate of pay on any project not subject to ORS 279C.800 to 279C.870 in a manner that has the effect of offsetting the prevailing rate of wage on a public works project. [2003 c.794 §167]
Section: Previous 279C.817 279C.820 279C.825 279C.827 279C.830 279C.835 279C.836 279C.838 279C.840 279C.845 279C.850 279C.855 279C.860 279C.865 279C.870 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008