US Labor Department urges New Mexico’s building, heavy construction industry employers to complete Davis-Bacon prevailing wage survey

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is conducting survey of building and heavy construction projects in seven New Mexico counties to help establish prevailing wage rates as required under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.

The division is collecting data on wages paid to workers on all active building and heavy construction projects statewide from March 1, 2015, to Feb. 29, 2016. The survey is not limited to federally funded projects.

“Survey participation is crucial to the process, and should reflect the wages and fringe benefits paid to construction workers in the county where they work. To ensure workers are paid fairly and legally, we need the full participation of New Mexico’s construction industry community,” said Betty Campbell, the Wage and Hour Division’s regional administrator in the Southwest.

Without a high level of survey participation, the state’s wage rates will not reflect actual wages and will prevent proper wage determinations, leading to an increase in requests for additional classifications. Wage data should be submitted for all projects meeting the criteria, regardless of how they are funded. The seven counties affected by the survey are: Dona Ana, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, Valencia, San Juan and Santa Fe.

The division urges industry employers to participate to:

• Ensure Davis Bacon wage rates and fringe benefits represent a truly prevailing wage.
• Level the playing field for all contractors bidding on federally funded construction

Your participation makes a difference.

The division is sending notification letters and “WD-10” data collection forms to interested parties and contractors of which it is aware. Data must be postmarked by Dec. 2, 2016, to be included in the survey. Participants may also complete the survey online at http://www.dol.gov/whd/programs/dbra/wd10/index.htm.

You do not need a letter to answer the survey. If you would like to participate, or have questions regarding the survey process and forms, contact Craig L. Jackson at (214) 749-2021.