Work Preservation Fund, Inc.

Monitoring Painting, Taping, Glazing, Floor Covering and Allied Trades on public works projects throughout Northern California

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Public Works Projects

A nonprofit labor/management cooperative venture insuring fair competition through contract compliance since 1977

Agencies

To ensure a successful end, with high quality workmanship, on-time, under budget, and with the least amount of liability, the Work Preservation Fund prefers to collaborate closely with the awarding agencies carrying out public works projects. WPF will alert awarding agencies of contractors who are not in compliance with prevailing wage laws. We can give agencies recommendations for contractors with a strong track record of performance, compliance and high-quality work, and we maintain history files on those who routinely violate California public works laws.

Work Preservation has alerted awarding agencies to several infractions, including contractors that have:

  • had a suspension of their license during the project
  • deviated from the projects required specifications
  • failed to adhere to California Lead Compliance & Enforcement and CAL OSHA regulations
  • violated the Subletting & Subcontracting Fair Practices Act

These violations have the potential to jeopardize the integrity and quality of the project’s workmanship and durability, as well as subject the awarding agency to a variety of fines and regulatory agency measures.

Working together with the awarding agency enables the WPF to arrange site visits and records requests with the least amount of disturbance to the agency’s staff.

If you have any questions about public works project bids, apprentice requirements, labor compliance, etc., get in touch with us. If we are unsure, we will collaborate with you to find the solution!

The California Labor Code 1773.3 (below) requires an awarding agency to alert the Dept. of Industrial Relations of most public works projects.  You can use the link provided to register the project.

1773.3.  (a) (1) An awarding agency shall provide notice to the Department of Industrial Relations of any public works contract subject to the requirements of this chapter, within five days of the award.

(2) The notice shall be transmitted electronically in a format specified by the department and shall include the name of the contractor, any subcontractor listed on the successful bid, the bid and contract award dates, the contract amount, the estimated start and completion dates, job site location, and any additional information the department specifies that aids in the administration and enforcement of this chapter.  To register your public works project, click here:

https://www.dir.ca.gov/pwc100ext

 

Certified Payroll Records (CPRs)

 

All contractors or subcontractors are required to maintain CPRs for all construction workers and to furnish copies upon request to employees, the public agency acting as the awarding body, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (Cal. Lab. Code § 1776(b)). The contractor or subcontractor faces a $100 penalty per worker per day if records are not provided within 10 days of receipt of a public agency’s request (Cal. Lab. Code § 1776(h)).

Current regulations require contractors working on public works to upload CPRs directly to the California Labor Commissioner’s Compliance Monitoring Unit (CMU). Cal. Lab. Code § 1771.4(a)(3)(A); 8 CCR §§ 16460(a), 16461(b). There is nothing in the regulations, however, that relieves or changes the obligations of an awarding agency to provide access to CPRs upon request, as required by Cal. Lab. Code § 1776(b).