Labor Commissioner Announces Changes to Enhance Labor Law Enforcement on Public Works Projects

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Industrial Relation's (DIR) today introduced the new electronic Public Works PWC 100 system which allows awarding bodies to provide notice of public works projects to ensure compliance with state laws. The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), under the direction of the California Labor Commissioner, has oversight authority to enforce state law pertaining to public works projects. 

"This system is an integral tool that allows the Labor Commissioner to quickly identify projects requiring monitoring and enforcement by DLSE's Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU).  The awarding body will find the system to be user friendly," stated DIR Director Christine Baker. "This tool will assist us to ensure the proper use of public funds dedicated towards public construction projects."

An awarding body is a department, board, authority, officer or agent awarding a contract for public works.  In most cases the awarding body is a unit of state or local government, such as a city, county, school district, water district, special district, or a state agency. 

"This new system replaces the DAS 13 form and provides a simple and universal way to provide information on current projects, which will benefit those who play by the rules and allow us to better identify and enforce against those who don't," said Julie A. Su, State Labor Commissioner. 

In January, the CMU began monitoring and enforcing prevailing wage laws on certain public works projects that contained state construction bond funding.  CMU enforcement was established to quickly identify public works violations during the life of a project, thereby creating a level playing field for public works contractors and to ensure all workers are paid the required prevailing wages.

The completion and the submission of the new PWC 100 system fulfills the required public works project award notification required by law [Labor Code Section 1773.3 and 8 California Code of Regulation Section 16451(a)].  The new PWC 100 system will allow multiple awarding body users to provide notice to DIR.  In addition, the functionality of the new database will allow:

• Users to save notices of projects for up to six months
• Awarding agencies to copy or save completed notices in a PDF format
• Awarding agencies to report pre-construction professional license numbers for soil and material testers, surveyors and other pre-construction activities not requiring a contractors' state license 
• Awarding agencies to edit previously submitted notifications

"We are committed to enhancing our on-line functionality to bring the state technologically into the 21st century and better serve the public," stated Labor Commissioner Su.   

All notices will be available online for review by the public through the public works search tool. DLSE, as well as other enforcement groups, will be able to quickly search projects awarded by date, awarding agency, location and by the estimated construction start date to better ensure compliance of public works laws early on with public projects. 

The new PWC 100 application is now available for use by public agencies. Awarding bodies who have previously registered with the PWC 100 system will need to update their passwords by selecting the "forgot password" icon.  All new awarding agencies should select the "first time user" icon. 

In a move to be more effective, DLSE has streamlined the public works complaint form to include reporting for general prevailing wages and apprenticeship violations. 

"I am pleased to provide a one-stop avenue for the public to file prevailing wage and apprenticeship violations on a single complaint form," stated Labor Commissioner Su.

The Labor Commissioner has now made two forms available for public works complaints: the "Public" complaint forms will be separate from the public works Worker complaint forms.  The Worker Complaint Forms have been revised to make them easier to complete and will continue to be available in English and Spanish.

If the public has further questions regarding the PWC 100 or our new complaint forms, you may contact the nearest DLSE office to you at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/DistrictOffices.htm. 

CONTACT:
Dean Fryer
Erika Monterroza
(510) 286-1161

Internet: www.dir.ca.gov
Twitter: @CA_DIR
facebook.com/CaliforniaDIR

SOURCE Dept. of Industrial Relations