DOL Experiencing Delays in Processing Prevailing Wage Determinations

AILA members have reported receiving the following e-mail message from the DOL National Prevailing Wage Center (NPWC) in response to inquiries into the status of prevailing wage requests:

Thank you for your inquiry.

The NPWC is currently experiencing delays in processing prevailing wage determinations as it is working to reissue certain prevailing wage determinations to comply with a court order issued June 15, 2011 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. We continue to encourage all requestors to submit their ETA Form 9141 at least 60 days in advance of the employer’s initial recruitment efforts.

Thank You, NPWC-#####

The June 15, 2011 court order stems from the August 30, 2010 decision in CATA v. Solis, where the district court ordered DOL to promulgate new H-2B prevailing wage regulations (AILA Doc. Nos. 101061580 and 10100169). AILA has contacted DOL for additional information on steps it is taking to comply with the court order, including how long it will take to reissue the H-2B wage determinations, and the short-/long-term impact of the order on prevailing wage processing times.

Source of Information: AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 11072571