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Working Together To Build A Better Georgia
The Georgia Foundation for Fair Contracting works to “level the playing field” by supporting fair contracting across Georgia. Fair contracting benefits all Georgians: workers, tax payers, and business owners. We work to ensure our publicly funded infrastructure is strong, lasts for decades, and is completed efficiently and responsibly.
We can only level the playing field by working together. If you are a contractor, public body, or worker and want to learn more about fair contracting, contact us. If you believe a construction contractor is not paying the correct wages or overtime, has an unsafe work site, or is not performing a job right, contact us.
Federal Davis-Bacon Act
The federal Davis-Bacon Act requires that prevailing wages be paid on federally funded public works projects, such as construction, repair or alteration of public buildings, or construction of public roads or bridges. The federal law sets a minimum threshold of $2,000, meaning if a public works contract is for an amount in excess of $2,000, then prevailing wages must be paid. States must abide by the Davis-Bacon Act when federal funds are involved in public works projects within the state.
The prevailing wage law covers only construction workers in specific types of occupations and does not apply to all workers on public works projects. The prevailing wage for the covered occupations is determined by the U.S. Deptartment of Labor through surveys of wages paid in those occupations in surrounding areas, so that the wages reflect the local economy. The prevailing wage is not established by either the state or federal government, but instead by these surveys, which are to include both union and nonunion labor. A state with a higher construction wage in general will therefore have a higher prevailing wage. The surveys are conducted on a regular basis to respond to changing local economies.
Below are resources on the federal prevailing wage law. They include an explanation of the process, covered occupations, and surveys, and provide links for additional details, including compliance manuals.
Challengers
