Prevailing Wage
The following suggestions are to assist you to ensure that you are better protected from companies who practice this type of illegal activity:
1. Always keep your pay stubs up to at least three years minimum.
2. Always monitor your deductions made in reference to medical and pension benefits.
3. At the end of the year, if you received a pension deduction, your pay stub with the accumulated gross pension deductions should equal your fourth quarter statement from the company handling this account.
4. Always keep a diary every week of where you worked and how many hours you worked, especially if you are being moved to numerous projects every week where the Prevailing Wage can change drastically. (For example, the rate in Boston is approximately $52, but on the South Shore it is in the low $40s).
If you are an apprentice the above four steps still apply, but you must be indentured with the Division of Training so read #5 carefully.
5. Apprentices must be properly registered with the Board of Registration for their apprentice license, and indentured with the Division of Training through a signed contract by you, the employer, and the Director of the Division. This is mandatory for any apprentice to work on a public project and receive the reduced rate while attending classes and earning the hours required for a Journeymen's License. IF YOU ARE NOT INDENTURED OR ATTENDING CLASSES, THEN YOU MUST BE PAID THE ENTIRE PREVAILING RATE FOR A JOURNEYMAN PLUMBER REGARDLESS.
IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PAID THE PROPER RATE ON A PUBLIC JOB, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE LAWS AND HOW THEY WORK, PLEASE CALL LOCAL 12'S WAGE ENFORCEMENT OFFICE AT 617-288-6200 AND ASK TO SPEAK WITH PAUL COUNTINHO.
REMEMBER--IT'S YOUR MONEY!!!!
In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, all public entities, whether it be Towns, Cities, State Departments or Divisions, Regional School Districts, Housing Authorities, or any entity created within the guidelines provided by the Commonwealth that will be administering state funds, federal funds that are granted to the Commonwealth to be managed by such state or local entity, must insure that the Prevailing Wage is paid on all construction projects including any and all service work administered by such agency. The law governing the requirement of Prevailing Wages to be paid is MGL ch 149 secs 26 & 27. The public entity is responsible for obtaining the current Prevailing Wage rates from the Division of Occupational Safety prior to any bidding taking place, and place such wage sheets in the specifications to insure that the contractors are made aware of this requirement. During the course of the construction the wage sheets should be posted in a trailer on site so any worker can review or compare his pay stub to ensure that he is being paid the proper rate. The public entity is also responsible to insure that the proper rate is paid and according to MGL ch 149 sec 27B must collect a certified payroll from every contractor involved with the project every week, regardless of whether any workers were on site. A certified payroll must be signed by the contractor under the pains and penalties of perjury that the worker's hours are correct, and that the hourly rate is the correct Prevailing Wage. The Fair Labor & Business Practices Division of the Attorney General's Office is responsible for the criminal prosecution of those companies who violate this law.