City of Long Beach v. Department of Industrial Relations

Opinion

CHIN, J.

In this case, we address the application of the state’s prevailing wage law (PWL; see Lab. Code, § 1770 et seq.)1 to private construction of a $10 million animal control facility in Long Beach (the City). The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Los Angeles (SPCA-LA) built the facility, but it was partly funded by a $1.5 million grant from the City that was expressly limited to project development and other preconstruction expenses. Section 1771 requires that “workers employed on public works” be paid “not less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages…