California Supreme Court Ruling on Monday, July 2 at 10:00 a.m. – Right of California Charter Cities to Set Their Own Policies Concerning Government-Mandated Construction Wage Rates (Prevailing Wage)

June 29, 2012 / Kevin Dayton /

The California Supreme Court will issue its ruling on Monday, July 2 at 10:00 a.m. in a five-year old case that is critical to issues of local government authority and the ability of construction unions to use the state government to set and mandate wage rates (“prevailing wages”) for construction workers on public works projects. The case is State Building and Construction Trades Council v. City of Vista.

If you want electronic notification from the California Supreme Court on Monday when it publishes the decision, go to this web site and fill out the form.

There are 121 charter cities in California, including the latest approved by voters on June 5 (City of El Cajon). Many of them set their own policies concerning government-mandated construction wage rates on municipal construction projects. (Most of those cities exempt their local projects from state-mandated construction wage rate laws.) See the only authoritive guide to the prevailing wage status of charter cities here:

http://abc-ccc.org/documents/CharterCityReportFINAL.pdf

(Note: the guide does not include El Cajon as the latest charter city, and Irvine repealed its exemption in April 2011 on a 3-2 vote of the city council.)

Want more information about this case and the practical implications of this case on California cities? My most recent articles on California’s state-mandated construction wage rate laws (prevailing wage laws) are found here:

Your Authoritative Background Guide to the Upcoming California Supreme Court Decision on Charter Cities and Prevailing Wage Laws (State Building and Construction Trades Council v. City of Vista)

Wildfires: Construction Unions Put Self-Interest above Public Interest in Court Case Against City of Vista’s Right as a Charter City to Set Its Own Prevailing Wage Policies

Escondido City Council Votes 4-1 to Approve Proposed Charter for Voters to Consider on November Ballot

Costa Mesa City Council Gets Email from the Center of the Great Quest to Free California’s Fiscally Responsible Local Governments from Centralized State Government Excesses and Mandates

Who Defeated the City of Auburn’s Proposed Charter, and How Was It Done? (Answer: Three Union Entities, by Spending $56.40 Per NO Vote)

Exclusive: Local Government Election Results in California Highly Relevant to Labor Issues

On June 5, 2012, Voters in City of Auburn Will Consider Proposed Charter with Local Control Over Government-Mandated Construction Wage Rates

Letter in San Diego Union-Tribune Reveals Insider Perspective on How Union Official Sabotaged City of Santee’s Local Charter Authority