State begins its collection of prevailing-wage data

Nevada Labor Commissioner Michael Tanchek has begun surveying contractors to gather information to prepare the state's prevailing wage data.

State law requires a survey of contractors who have performed work on construction projects in the past year in order to establish the prevailing wage rates.

The established rates are then required to be paid on all Nevada public works construction projects financed by taxpayer dollars schools, libraries, roadways, government buildings and the like.

Tanchek will send survey packets to approximately 14,500 contractors across the state.

In addition, the survey packet will be available on the Internet at www.LaborCommissioner.com.

Participants can go online to complete the form, then print it for mailing.

Surveys cannot be filed electronically because the completed forms require an original signature.

Contractors who do not receive a packet or have access to the Internet can request a hard copy by calling the labor commissioner's office at 687-4850 or toll free at 1-800-992- 0900.

Tancheck said it's critical to gather information from as many projects as possible, particularly in rural counties.

If no construction work is reported as having been performed in a rural county, the labor commissioner considers wage rates paid on construction projects in the nearest county.

This means, Tancheck said, that a rural county often ends up with rates established in an urban county for a particular craft.

Key elements for contractors to remember, the labor commissioner said, include:

* All data from all contractors will be considered, but the information must be within survey requirements.

For example,work must be done within the specified dates,must be a classification included in the survey, and cannot be for residential projects.

* Surveys should include wages paid on private and commercial projects.

To establish a rate reflective of what's been paid, the survey should include wages paid on all construction projects, not just include wages paid on publicly funded projects.

Residential construction should be excluded.

* Rural projects should be included.

Once the survey information is completed, the labor commissioner establishes prevailing wage rates through a formula specified in state regulations.

Completed surveys must be received in either the Carson City or Las Vegas offices of the Labor Commissioner no later than 5 p.m.

on July 15.

The results will be published by Oct.

1.