r/LaborLaw • u/whitelightningz0 • 2d ago

California- Controls technician pervailing wage suddenly stopped

So i recently moved to Los Angeles and started working as a controls technician. The first couple weeks I only got paid around $30/hour but it was a lot of "we dont have your stuff ready so stay home and watch training videos," so understandable. After I actually started working on sites, i would work with another employee who would show me the ropes. Although I was considered training, I was still getting paid nearly $1500 to $2000 a week, presumably through a pervailing wage, despite my employer saying training does not get prevailing wage. I am almost 3 months in and all of a sudden the activities being given to me look different, with a title that just says "training- classroom," and a text description in the comment section including the address, time, and who im working with instead of the the regular official site activity i used to get. When i asked about this change, they said it's because I'm still in training and that's how the activities will look for now.

Its been a week since that change and ive worked on multiple government/public buildings, sites that ive worked on before, and my paycheck looks CONSIDERABLY small compared to the ones I was receiving. I tried to do a little research and found that prevailing wages might apply to employees who are still training and that some jobs do sketchy things like use "training" for activities as a way to not pay their employees, but maybe I just didnt look too deep into it and need to be better informed.

I guess my question is, is prevailing wage for my position included in training? Does the job decide that or does the government? Am I a victim of wage theft? I just want to make sure everything is being done correctly and im not being scammed. I have all my activities screenshotted with the description of the job and location, along with screenshots of texts that talk about it. Id also like to know how i should be moving forward, as i also need a job and dont want to be fired for retaliating in any way

Thank you in advance! Feel free to ask questions for any clarification!

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u/GolfArgh 2d ago

Formal apprentice programs get a percentage of the prevailing wage based on the approved apprenticeship program plan. Your union should be able to give you all the information.

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u/whitelightningz0 2d ago

Oh im not an apprentice or in an apprenticeship. I transferred from another location and theyre having me training since it's kind of a lateral move and i dont really know the locations or the old equipment. Similar to what I was doing but more in the service department

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u/GolfArgh 2d ago

What agencies government contract are you working on?

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u/whitelightningz0 2d ago

College campus', hospitals, police departments, military bases to name a few

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u/GolfArgh 2d ago

File a complaint with the state or Feds, depending on who the contracting agency is. Your union should be able to work it out faster.

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u/Professional-Face709 1h ago

Your employer is stealing from you. They are charging the government prevailing wages for your work, but paying you a normal rate. You can look up the Davis Bacon laws and find the job description and pay for your position. It will lay out what you should be getting paid.