This bill amends RCW 39.12.015 to change how the Department of Labor and Industries’ industrial statistician determines the prevailing rate of wage for public works. It requires the industrial statistician to use wages, usual benefits, and overtime shown in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the relevant geographic jurisdiction. Until May 31, 2027, where more than one CBA exists in a county for a trade or occupation the higher rate applies. For contracts bid or awarded on or after June 1, 2027, for trades with multiple CBAs (except ship building and ship repair) the industrial statistician must apply the rate representing a majority of workers in that trade or, if no majority exists, the rate representing the plurality; for ship building and ship repair the higher CBA rate continues to prevail. Where a CBA exists in a county, the industrial statistician must not conduct wage surveys or apply hours-worked data to set the prevailing rate, except that hours-worked data may be used to resolve an appeal. For trades with no CBAs in the county, the industrial statistician will establish the rate through wage and hour surveys or other appropriate methods if surveys are not feasible. The bill tolls recovery of wages owed to a worker until the prevailing wage determination is final and allows interested parties to appeal a determination by proving the rate used is not the majority/plurality rate, with work continuing under the industrial statistician’s rate until the appeal is finally determined. The industrial statistician may seek input from labor and management signatories and multiemployer bargaining unit representatives about which rate is majority or plurality. This is a modification of existing law (an amendment to RCW 39.12.015) that makes substantive and procedural changes to prevailing wage determinations, establishes temporary and post-2027 rules, creates an appeal procedure and tolling of wage recovery, and sets different rules for ship building and ship repair. The bill references definitions and exceptions in RCW 39.12.010 and RCW 39.12.017 that are not included here; the precise definitions of “prevailing rate of wage,” “interested party,” and “geographic jurisdiction,” and any related exceptions, are not provided in the extracted text.

If enacted, the bill directs the state labor statistician to base prevailing wages on the rates in local collective bargaining agreements rather than on wage surveys where a CBA exists, first through May 31, 2027 using the highest local CBA rate when more than one exists, and then for contracts bid or awarded on or after June 1, 2027 switching to a majority-or-plurality rule (except ship building and repair, which keep the higher-rate rule). Employers bidding public works should expect prevailing wage rates to track union contract rates for covered trades, which may raise or change labor costs in counties where union agreements pay more, while unions and multiemployer units gain leverage in setting what counts as the prevailing rate. The Department of Labor and Industries must make these determinations and may solicit input from signatory parties; interested parties can appeal a chosen rate but wage recovery is tolled until the agency’s determination is final, so workers’ back-pay and employers’ liability may be delayed pending appeals. Key details are missing from the excerpts provided — for example the precise legal definition of “prevailing rate,” who qualifies as an “interested party,” how “geographic jurisdiction” is defined, and the text of the cited exceptions — so implementation timing, who can appeal, and some boundary cases remain uncertain.