On November 23, 2020, the Rochester City Council approved prevailing-wage, workforce participation goals and targeted business contracting for all City of Rochester Capital Improvement Plan projects funded by the City only.

“Partnered with workforce participation goals, requiring prevailing-wage reflects the City of Rochester’s intentions to provide women and minorities employment opportunities in long-lasting, good paying careers,” comments Deputy City Administrator Aaron Parrish.

The requirements will be phased in over five years beginning in 2021 with projects valued at $5,000,000 (five million) or greater, decreasing annually through 2025 to projects valued at $175,000 or greater. In June 2020, City Council approved workforce participation goals aligning with the Minnesota Department Human Rights goals for southeastern Minnesota that will apply to City of Rochester projects.

The City of Rochester Water Reclamation treatment remodel and effluent upgrades project, awarded in November 2020, will require contractors to pay prevailing wage rates to all workers. Future projects the City of Rochester will require prevailing-wage, workforce participation goals and targeted business contracting include streets, sewer and water, flood control, library, pedestrian facilities and administrative projects. Federal and State funded projects already require paying prevailing-wage, workforce participation goals and contracting with disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs).

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry establishes prevailing-wages by commercial and highway heavy construction for counties across the state. For more information about prevailing- wage law visit https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/employment-practices/prevailing-wage-information For more information about workforce participation goals recommended by Minnesota Department of Human Rights visit https://mn.gov/mdhr/certificates/participation-goals/workforce-participation-goals.jsp.