TUCSON, AZ (January 11, 2024) -- The City of Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and City Council have successfully passed a Prevailing Wage Ordinance. Moving forward, prevailing wages will be applied to City of Tucson projects and will adhere to the Federal Standard for prevailing wages. Embracing prevailing wages will become our new normal for city projects. This excludes previously voter-approved bonds such as Prop 101, 407 and 411, affordable housing projects, and any project under the $2 million threshold.
The Arizona Carpenters Union Local 1912 would like to commend the Tucson City Council, for passage of Ordinance 12066. Today contractors will be held accountable to taxpayers for higher quality in public works projects while advocating for apprenticeship training with wages that will retain a skilled workforce. The Council has shown the value it places on the trained workforce, demonstrates standards of ethics throughout projects that enhance civic pride in the community.
The IBEW Local #570 Electrician Union is proud to support Tucson's new prevailing wage ordinance and celebrate a great day for working families. Prevailing wage is a vital protection for working families against inflation and wage theft. Prevailing wage also benefits responsible contractors and the public by boosting productivity, reducing injuries and increasing apprenticeships. This helps address the shortage of skilled labor in construction and ensures that projects are completed on time and within budget. We look forward to working with the City of Tucson as it implements this new ordinance and urge other Arizona cities to follow suit.
“Prevailing wages have long served as a tool to uplift our communities, improve our local economy and protect all workers from being underpaid and taken advantage of. This will have a positive impact for families, create a better quality of life for workers by providing economic stability, ensure stable and secure housing, and create opportunities for families to invest in their children's education,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "We continue to focus our work on doing what is right for workers and their families.”
“This is a great day for Tucson’s working families and sets a positive example for all of Arizona!”, said Aaron Butler President of the Arizona Building Trades. “On behalf of fifteen thousand union construction workers in this state, I want to thank the Mayor and Council of Tucson for enacting a prevailing wage ordinance, guaranteeing fair wages for workers on city projects. In an age of high inflation, it’s essential that cities and counties put workers first.”
Prevailing Wage Ordinance will include:
- The requirements shall apply to public works construction contracts awarded by the City under Title 34 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, beginning with solicitations advertised on July 1, 2024, and that have an engineer's estimate of $2,000,000 or more.
- The prevailing wages shall be as determined by the US Department of Labor and will apply to trades that are subject to Federal Davis Bacon Act requirements.
- This code shall require timely weekly payments for each worker covered and compliance with record-keeping and notice posting requirements.
- This code shall prohibit the misclassification of workers as independent contractors and prohibit cash pay.
- This code shall exclude procurements for projects that are funded in whole or part by bonds or taxes that were approved by voters prior to January 1, 2024, and will exclude City projects for affordable housing and projects performed under job order contracts.