Senate Bill 7 seeks to close the loophole which has allowed California's 121 charter cities to remain exempt from California's prevailing wage regulations.  The bill, largely viewed as a win for local contractors and the local labor force, has found opposition with municipalities' political representatives, who view the Bill as a further increase of the state's hold over the local government.  

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The California Contractor State Licensing Board (CSLB) formed the Joint Enforcement Strike Force's (JESF) Construction Enforcement Project (CEP) to capitalize on multi-agency partnerships in a coordinated effort to enforce wage and licensure laws for contractors.  The results have been staggering so far: 411 audit referrals for an estimated $48,553,626 in unreported wages; $25,832,017 in EDD and Franchise Tax Board outstanding tax and civil liability suspension amounts with $10,815,762 in penalties recovered; $17, 705, 752 in EDD tax and civil liability suspensions with $6,626, 208 in recovered tax liability; and additional license liability suspensions by the Department of Industrial Relations totaling $1,972,328 with $1,835,869 in penalties recovered. 

A new California labor code provision subjects California employers and those who provide advise to the employer to Labor Code penalties if employees are misclassified as independent contractors.  

In 2012, critical changes to California's wage laws will affect the way California contractors do business.  

Investigation of National Builders is Not a Union Versus Builder Matter According to the California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors - MarketWatch