18-2-407. Forfeiture for failure to pay standard prevailing rate of wages. (1) Except as provided in 18-2-403, a contractor, subcontractor, or employer who pays workers or employees at less than the standard prevailing rate of wages as established under the public works contract shall forfeit to the department a penalty at a rate of up to 20% of the delinquent wages plus fringe benefits, attorney fees, audit fees, and court costs. Money collected by the department under this section must be deposited in the general fund. A contractor, subcontractor, or employer shall also forfeit to the employee the amount of wages owed plus $25 a day for each day that the employee was underpaid.
(2) Whenever it appears to the contracting agency or to the commissioner that there is insufficient money due to the contractor or the employer under the terms of the contract to cover penalties, the commissioner may, within 90 days after the filing of notice of completion of the project and its acceptance by the contracting agency, maintain an action in district court to recover all penalties and forfeitures due. This part does not prevent the individual worker who has been underpaid or the commissioner on behalf of all the underpaid workers from maintaining an action for recovery of the wages due under the contract as provided in Title 39, chapter 3, part 2.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 102, L. 1931; re-en. Sec. 3043.1, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 32, L. 1955; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 43, L. 1961; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 265, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 375, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 531, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 41-701(3); amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 554, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 609, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 90, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 389, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 467, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 277, L. 2009.
Structure Montana Code Annotated
Chapter 2. Construction Contracts
Part 4. Special Conditions -- Standard Prevailing Rate of Wages
18-2-402. Standard prevailing rate of wages
18-2-404. Approval of public works contract -- bond
18-2-406. Posting wage scale and fringe benefits
18-2-407. Forfeiture for failure to pay standard prevailing rate of wages
18-2-409. Montana residents to be employed on state construction contracts
18-2-411. Creation of prevailing wage rate districts
18-2-412. Method for payment of standard prevailing wage
18-2-413. Standard prevailing rate of wages for building construction services
18-2-415. Standard prevailing rate of wages for nonconstruction services -- survey
18-2-416. Wages paid to registered apprentices
18-2-417. Wage rate adjustments for multiyear contracts
18-2-418. Wage rates based on project classification
18-2-419. Zone pay and per diem
18-2-423. Submission of payroll records
18-2-425. Prohibition -- project labor agreement
18-2-426. through 18-2-430 reserved