Resources for Minnesota prevailing wage contractors

The prevailing wage rates in Minnesota differ depending on the type of work performed by prevailing wage workers. Both the certified commercial wage rates and the certified highway/heavy rates can be found at the website of the Department of Labor and Industry.

If prevailing wage contractors do not comply with the terms set by the Minnesota prevailing wage law, workers can file a complaint at the Department of Labor and Industry by filling out a complaint form. The Department of Labor and Industry or the Minnesota Department of Transportation will review the complaint, and will decide if the issue can be pursued or not.
Although there are no provisions addressing debarment in the Minnesota Prevailing Wage Law, non-compliance can result to a misdemeanor charge, fines, and other types of penalties for the guilty parties.

All prevailing wage contractors working on partly or fully-funded state projects are covered by Minnesota prevailing wage laws. The Department of Labor and Industry oversees the enforcement of the law in commercial projects, while the Minnesota Department of Transportation is in charge of the enforcement of the law on highway projects. The wage rate certification applies for the duration of the project, except for multi-year projects where annual certifications must be requested. Records of the payment to all workers are required to be kept for inspection and auditing.
Although there are no provisions addressing debarment in the Minnesota Prevailing Wage Law, non-compliance can result to a misdemeanor charge, fines, and other types of penalties for the guilty parties.

There are three kinds of construction projects in Minnesota, all having different prevailing wage rates. The first one is the highway/heavy project. This category involves maintenance and construction of streets, highways, bridges, power lines and utilities, and the like. The second one is commercial construction. It involves all building projects exclusive of residential ones. The last one is residential construction. This category involves the repair or remodeling of single or two-family homes and structures, including agricultural buildings and private farm residences.

Yes, there are thresholds for public works projects in the state of Minnesota. If more than one classification of work is involved, the total cost of finishing the public works project is going to be $25 000. If only one trade is involved, the cost of project completion is going to be worth $2 500.

Under the law, employees must be paid overtime if he/she works for more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. The special compensation rate for overtime hours is 1.5x the basic hourly rate plus fringe benefits. For employees working on weekdays and legal holidays, they would also be compensated with 1.5x the original hourly rate plus the fringe benefits. There are no shift differential rates in the state of Minnesota when it comes to prevailing wage workers.

The state of Minnesota allows payment for fringe benefits to prevailing wage workers. The state will give a credit to the total prevailing wage rate for bona fide fringe benefits like pension plans, health insurance, paid leaves, sick leaves, etc. Training contributions are do not qualify as a fringe benefit. Workers are required to be compensated for the lodging, travel, mileage, and subsistence pay while working on a public works project.

There are no provisions in the Minnesota prevailing wage law when it comes to training contributions. Apprentices are not subject to the prevailing wage rate determinations, and are paid depending on the apprentice rate. Before an apprentice can be paid the apprentice rate, he/she must first be a registered in a bona fide apprenticeship program, or at least a person with 90 days of probationary status as an apprentice certified by the U.S. Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

Yes, there are licensing requirements in the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Commerce is the department responsible for the licensing of residential builders and remodelers. However, subcontractors or other people that work with cooling, heating, and ventilation work are not required to be licensed, except those working with electrical work and plumbing. Contractors working on bridges and roads are also not required to be licensed. To know more, visit the website of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Prevailing wage contractors are required to keep records of the name of the employee and identifying number, the prevailing wage job classification, number of hours worked and payment given, tax deductions, and dollars contributed to fringe benefits of every employee. They must also present the prevailing wage rates, and post them in areas where they can be easily seen by the works, together with other mandatory state posters. Contractors are required to give a copy of the payrolls to the contracting agency not more than 14 days after the wage payments.