TRENTON – Senators Joseph Coniglio and Joseph Doria welcomed Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee approval of their bill that would establish prevailing wage rates for workers employed by contractors performing building services for State run facilities.
“New Jersey needs to make sure it does right by every individual who works in our buildings, whether they work directly for the State or through a contractor providing services,” said Senator Coniglio, D-Bergen. “By requiring State building services contracts be fulfilled by workers making the prevailing wage, those companies who share this philosophy will no longer be at a disadvantage when competing for state service contracts.”
The bill, S-2702, would require each State contract for building services to state the required prevailing wage and stipulate that workers cannot be paid less than the stated wage rate.
“As it stands right now, our state bidding rules favor those companies who inflate their profits by grossly underpaying their employees,” said Senator Doria (D-Hudson). “Companies who hire workers for less than the prevailing wage can easily underbid those responsible companies that recognize their employees should be paid a respectable wage. This bill will level the playing field.”
The bill also would require the contract to include annual adjustments of the prevailing wage during the term of the contract and provide that if workers are paid less than the wage rate, the State may terminate the contractor or subcontractor’s right to proceed with the work.
The building services covered by the bill would include cleaning or building maintenance work, sweeping, vacuuming, floor cleaning, cleaning of rest rooms, collecting refuse or trash, window cleaning, engineering, securing, patrolling, or other work in connection with the care, securing or maintenance of an existing building.
The bill was approved by the Committee and now goes to the full Senate for their approval.
