(1) The hourly rate of wage that a contractor or subcontractor must pay to workers upon all public works may not be less than the prevailing rate of wage for an hour’s work in the same trade or occupation in the locality where the labor is performed. A contractor or subcontractor may discharge the obligation to pay the prevailing rate of wage by making the payments in cash, by making contributions of a type described in ORS § 279C.800 (1)(a), or by assuming an enforceable commitment to bear the costs of fringe benefits of a type described in ORS § 279C.800 (1)(b), or any combination of payments, contributions and assumption of costs, where the aggregate of any such payments, contributions and assumption of costs is not less than the prevailing rate of wage. The contractor or subcontractor shall pay all wages due and owing to the contractor’s or subcontractor’s workers upon public works on the regular payday established and maintained under ORS § 652.120.

(2) After a contract for public works is executed with any contractor or work is commenced upon any public works, a contractor or subcontractor may not subject the amount of the prevailing rate of wage to attack in any legal proceeding in connection with that contract.

(3) It is not a defense in any legal proceeding that the prevailing rate of wage is less than the amount required to be in the specifications of a contract for public works, or that the employee agreed with the employer to work at less than the wage rates required to be paid under this section.

(4) Every contractor or subcontractor engaged on a project for which there is a contract for a public works shall keep the prevailing rates of wage for that project posted in a conspicuous and accessible place in or about the project. The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries shall furnish without charge copies of the prevailing rates of wage to contractors and subcontractors.

(5) Every contractor or subcontractor engaged on a project for which there is a contract for a public works to which the prevailing wage requirements apply that also provides or contributes to a health and welfare plan or a pension plan, or both, for the contractor or subcontractor’s employees on the project shall post a notice describing the plan in a conspicuous and accessible place in or about the project. The notice preferably shall be posted in the same place as the notice required under subsection (4) of this section. In addition to the description of the plan, the notice shall contain information on how and where to make claims and where to obtain further information.

(6)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection, a person other than the contractor or subcontractor may not pay or contribute any portion of the prevailing rate of wage paid by the contractor or subcontractor to workers employed in the performance of a public works contract.

(b) A contractor or subcontractor violates paragraph (a) of this subsection if a person other than the contractor or subcontractor pays or contributes any portion of the prevailing rate of wage that the contractor or subcontractor owes or pays to workers who perform labor on a public works project or the person assumes an enforceable commitment to bear the costs of fringe benefits of a type described in ORS § 279C.800 (1)(b) that the contractor or subcontractor provides.

(c) For the purpose of this subsection, the prevailing rate of wage is the prevailing rate of wage specified in the contract.

(d) This subsection does not prohibit:

(A) Payments to a worker who is enrolled in any government-subsidized training or retraining program; or

(B) A surety or public agency from paying the prevailing rate of wage.

(7) A person may not take any action that circumvents the payment of the prevailing rate of wage to workers employed on a public works contract, including, but not limited to, reducing an employee’s regular rate of pay on any project that is not subject to ORS § 279C.800 to 279C.870 in a manner that has the effect of offsetting the prevailing rate of wage on a public works project. [2003 c.794 § 167; 2009 c.161 § 4; 2017 c.334 § 4]