CHAPTER 295
FORMERLY
HOUSE BILL NO. 528
AS AMENDED BY HOUSE AMENDMENT NO. 1
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 6912, TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE, RELATING TO PREVAILING WAGE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:
Section 1. Amend Section 6912, Title 29 of the Delaware Code, by striking in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following:
' 6912. Wage Provisions in Public Construction Contracts; Failure to Pay Prevailing Wage Rates; Penalty.
(a) The specifications for every contract or aggregate of contracts relating to a public works project in excess of $100,000 for new construction (including painting and decorating) or $15,000 for alteration, repair, renovation, rehabilitation, demolition or reconstruction (including painting and decorating of buildings or works) to which this State or any subdivision thereof is a party and for which the State appropriated any part of the funds and which requires or involves the employment of mechanics and/or laborers shall contain a provision stating the minimum wages to be paid various classes of laborers and mechanics which shall be based upon the wages that will be determined by the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Industrial Affairs, to be prevailing in the county in which the work is to be performed. The prevailing wage shall be the wage paid to a majority of employees performing similar work as reported in the Department's annual prevailing wage survey or in the absence of a majority, the average wage paid to all employees reported.
(b) Every contract based upon these specifications shall contain a stipulation that the employer shall pay all mechanics and laborers employed directly upon the site of the work, unconditionally and not less often than once a week and without subsequent deduction or rebate on any account, the full amounts accrued at time of payment, computed at wage rates not less than those stated in the specifications, regardless of any contractual relationship which may be alleged to exist between the employer and such laborers and mechanics. The specifications shall further stipulate that
the scale of wages to be paid shall be posted by the employer in a prominent and easily accessible place at the site of the work, and that there may be withheld from the employer so much of accrued payments as may be considered necessary by the Department of Labor to pay to laborers and mechanics employed by the employer the difference between the rates of wages required by the contract to be paid laborers and mechanics on the work and rates of wages received by such laborers and mechanics to be remitted to the Department of Labor for distribution upon resolution of any claims.
(c) Every contract based upon these specifications shall contain a stipulation that sworn payroll information, as required by the Department of Labor, be furnished weekly.
(d) The Department of Labor shall investigate all claims that the prevailing wage rates as provided for under this section are not being or have not been paid. Upon finding that an employer has not paid or is not paying the prevailing wage rates, the Department of Labor shall notify the employer of the violations by certified mail and make an effort to obtain compliance. Upon failure to obtain compliance within 15 days of receipt of said certified mail, the Secretary may terminate all rights of the employer to proceed with the work under the public construction contract, and the employer shall be responsible for all damages resulting therefrom.
"(e) Any employer who knowingly fails or refuses to pay the prevailing wage rates provided for under this Section, or who fails to submit payroll reports or post notice of the wage rates which apply to the project shall, for each such violation, be subject to a Civil Penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 for each violation. No public construction contract in this State shall be bid on, awarded to, or received by any contractor or subcontractor, or any person, firm, partnership or
corporation in which such employer has an interest who, within two years after entry of a judgment pursuant to this chapter, is adjudicated in violation of this chapter in a subsequent proceeding, until three years have elapsed from the date of the subsequent penalty judgment. A Civil Penalty claim may be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction.
(f) Any laborer or mechanic employed by any employer, or the Department of Labor on behalf of any laborer or mechanic employed by any employer, who is paid in a sum less than the prevailing wage rates provided for under this section shall have a right of action against the employer in any court of competent jurisdiction to recover up to treble the difference between the amount so paid and the prevailing wage rate. Such action may be brought by the Department of Labor in the name and for the benefit of the laborer or mechanic with or without an assignment of the claim from the employee and upon notice to the aggrieved employee, the Department of Labor shall have the power to settle and adjust any such claim to the same extent as would the aggrieved employee. It shall not be a defense to such action that the underpayment was received by the laborer or mechanic without protest. Upon the filing of an action under this section, the employer shall post suitable bond approved by the court for the damages which may be recoverable thereunder. Any judgment entered for plaintiff shall include an award for reasonable attorney's fees and costs of prosecution.
(a) Any wages collected under this chapter, but not claimed by the employee within 1 year from the date of collection, shall be retained by the Department of Labor for enforcement purposes.
(a) No action to recover wages and damages under this section shall be brought after the expiration of 2 years from the accruing of the cause of action.
(1) Whenever any person shall contract with another for the performance of any work which the contracting person has undertaken to perform, he or she shall become civilly liable to employees engaged in the performance of work under such contract for the payment of wages, exclusive of treble damages, as required under this section, whenever and to the extent that the employer of such employees fails to pay such wages, and the employer of such employees shall be liable to such person for any wages paid by him under this Section. If pursuant to this Subsection (1) a person becomes civilly liable to employees of another, such liability shall not constitute a violation of this Section for purposes of the termination, civil penalty and debarment provisions of Subsections (d) and (e) of this Section.
(j) A contract manager shall be responsible for monitoring compliance with this Section, but shall not become civilly liable to the same extent as the contracting person. For purposes of this Section, 'contract manager' means any person who performs the function of the contracting person without becoming a party to the contract of performance, but rather contracts with the recipient of the goods or services to act as his/her agent. A contract manager who knowingly fails or refuses to monitor compliance with this Section shall, for each such failure or refusal, be subject to a Civil Penalty of not less than $100 nor more than $500. A Civil Penalty claim under this subsection may be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction. A contract manager's liability for a Civil Penalty pursuant to this Subsection (j) shall not constitute a violation of this section for purposes of the termination, civil penalty and debarment provisions of Subsections (d) and (e) of this Section."
Approved July 5, 1994.