Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Interpreting a General Wage Determination
Each wage determination begins with a cover sheet that defines its applicability by:
- The decision number.
- The number of the decision superseded, if applicable.
- State(s) covered.
- Type of construction (building, heavy, highway, and/or residential).
- County(ies), parishes, and/or city(ies) covered.
- Description of the construction to which the wage determination applies and/or construction excluded from its application.
- Record of modifications, including the initial publication date, modification numbers and dates.
The cover sheet is illustrated in the sample screen below.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- General Decision Number: LA070012 08/17/2007 LA12 Superseded General Decision Number: LA20030012 State: Louisiana Construction Type: Heavy Counties: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St Bernard, St Charles, St James, St John the Baptist and St Tammany Counties in Louisiana. HEAVY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS (includes flood control, water & sewer lines, and water wells; excludes elevated storage tanks, industrial construction-chemical processing, power plants, and refineries) Modification Number Publication Date 0 02/09/2007 1 07/06/2007 2 08/17/2007
Classifications, Basic Hourly Rates, And Fringe Benefits
In the body of each wage determination is the listing of classifications (laborers and mechanics) and accompanying basic hourly wage rates and fringe benefit rates that have been determined to be prevailing for the specified type(s) of construction in the geographic area(s) covered by the wage determination.
- Classification listings may also include classification groupings, fringe benefit footnotes, descriptions of the geographic areas to which sub-classifications and different wage rates apply, and/or certain classification definitions.
- Above each classification (or group of classifications) listed, an alphanumeric “identifier” and date provide information about the source of the classification(s) and wage rate(s) listed for it. The discussion of “Classification Identifiers,” below, focuses on information about the source of a rate (union or non-union).
In wage determination modifications, an asterisk (“*”) is used to indicate that the item marked is changed by that modification.
An example of this information is illustrated below:
---------------------------------------------------------------- * PLUM0060-002 06/01/2007 JEFFERSON, ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINES, ST. BERNARD, ST. CHARLES, ST. JAMES (Southeastern Portion), ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, and ST. TAMMANY PARISHES Rates Fringes PLUMBER/PIPEFITTER (excluding pipe laying).....................$ 24.27 7.18 ---------------------------------------------------------------- * PLUM0198-005 07/01/2007 ST. JAMES PARISH (Northwestern Portion): Rates Fringes PLUMBER (excluding pipe laying)..........................$ 21.64 6.88 ---------------------------------------------------------------- SULA2004-007 05/13/2004 Rates Fringes CARPENTER (all other work).......$ 13.75 2.60 Laborers: Common/Landscape............$ 9.88 0.00 Fence.......................$ 11.24 0.00 Flagger.....................$ 8.58 0.00 Mason Tender................$ 7.00 0.00 Pipelayer...................$ 9.84 0.00 PIPEFITTER (excluding pipelaying)......................$ 17.52 4.51 ----------------------------------------------------------------
Classification Identifiers (Union and Non-Union)
The body of each wage determination lists the classifications and wage rates that have been found prevailing for the cited type(s) of construction in the area covered by the wage determination. The classifications are listed in alphabetical order of “identifiers” that indicate whether particular rates are union or non-union rates.
Many wage determinations contain only non-union wage rates, some contain only union-negotiated wage rates, and others contain both union and non-union wage rates that have been found prevailing in the area for the type of construction covered by the wage determination.
Union Identifiers
- An identifier beginning with characters other than SU denotes that the union classification(s) and wage rate(s) have been found as prevailing. The first four letters indicate the international union for the local union that negotiated the wage rates listed under that identifier (see listing below). The four-digit number that follows indicates the local union number.
< br /> Example:
----------------------------------------------------------- PLUM0198-005 07/01/2007 ST. JAMES PARISH (Northwestern Portion): Rates Fringes PLUMBER (excluding pipe laying)..........................$ 21.64 6.88 -----------------------------------------------------------
- The identifier is PLUM0198-005 07/01/2007. PLUM = Plumbers; 0198 = the local union number (district council number where applicable); and 005 = internal number used in processing the wage determination. The date following these characters is the effective date of the most current negotiated rate.
- Special identifiers are necessary for two trades because the same local union number(s) is accompanied by different wage rates in different states. Bricklayers local union numbers are not unique nationwide, but are unique within each State. Similarly, Sprinkler Fitters Local Union No. 699 has negotiated different wage rates in each State within its territorial jurisdiction. Therefore, the identifiers for the Bricklayers unions are in the format “BR + state abbreviation,” (referenced below as BRXX), and the identifier “SF + state abbreviation” is used for Sprinkler Fitter Local No. 669’s rates.
- It is common for many local unions to negotiate wage rates for more than one classification. Where this is done, the classifications for which that union’s wage rates are determined to be prevailing will appear under the identifier for that union.
- Example:
The same union may negotiate wage and fringe benefits for painters and glaziers. In such a case, the wage rate for the glazier, as well as that for the painter will be found under an identifier beginning with “PAIN”(if both the union rates were found prevailing for both glaziers an painters). Similarly, users may need to look under an identifier beginning with “CARP” to find not only rates for carpenters, but also those for millwrights, piledrivermen and (marine) divers. - Union Rates which have been determined to be prevailing will be updated when there are changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Union Identifier Code Abbreviations
Following are the identifier codes used to reference the various craft unions.
Examples of classifications for which their local unions commonly negotiate wage and fringe benefit rates are shown in parentheses.
ASBE = International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers
BOIL = International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, Iron Shipbuilders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
BRXX = International Union of Bricklayers, and Allied Craftsmen
(bricklayers, cement masons, stone masons, tile, marble and terrazzo workers)
CARP = United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
(carpenters, millwrights, piledrivermen, soft floor layers, divers)
ELEC = International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(electricians, communication systems installers, and other low voltage specialty workers)
ELEV = International Union of Elevator Constructors
ENGI = International Union of Operating Engineers
(operators of various types of power equipment)
IRON = International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers
LABO = Laborers’ International Union of North America
PAIN = International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades
(painters, drywall
finishers, glaziers, soft floor layers)
PLAS = Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association of United States and Canada (cement masons, plasterers)
PLUM = United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada
(plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, sprinkler fitters)
ROOF = United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers
SHEE = Sheet Metal Workers International Association
TEAM = International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Non-Union Identifiers
Classification(s) for which the union rate(s) were not determined to be prevailing are listed under an “SU” identifier. SU means the rates listed under that identifier were derived from survey data by computing average rates and are not union rates. (The data reported for such a classification and used in computing the prevailing rate may include both union and non-union data. Note that various classifications, for which non-union rates have been determined to be prevailing, may be listed in alphabetical order under this identifier.
Example:
SULA2004-007 05/13/2004 Rates Fringes CARPENTER (all other work).......$ 13.75 2.60 Laborers: Common/Landscape............$ 9.88 0.00 Fence.......................$ 11.24 0.00 Flagger.....................$ 8.58 0.00 Mason Tender................$ 7.00 0.00 Pipelayer...................$ 9.84 0.00
The identifier is SULA2004-007 05/13/2004. SU indicates rates that are not union rates; LA indicates the state of Louisiana; 2004 is the year of the survey and 007 is an internal number used in producing the wage determination. A 1993 or later date indicate the classification(s) and wage rate(s) under that identifier were issued in the GWD on that date.
SU (survey) classifications and rates will not be updated or changed until a new survey is conducted.