Illinois Landscape Labor Costs

Municipalities that haven?EUR??,,????'???t been paying the state-mandated prevailing wage rate for landscaping work could be facing higher labor costs this year. ?EUR??,,????'??This is like a backdoor unfunded mandate,?EUR??,,????'?? Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Janonis said.

Janonis said the state could require tree and grounds maintenance contracts to follow the state?EUR??,,????'???s prevailing wage standards. For towns like Mount Prospect that are battling the emerald ash borer, that could put a significant dent in their public works budgets.

The state?EUR??,,????'???s prevailing wage legislation, which dates back to the 1940s, applies to public works projects. It requires that workers on those projects collect wages in line with those paid in the area for private work. The wages usually are set by the Illinois Department of Labor and typically are based on union rates.

?EUR??,,????'??In 2011, the Illinois Department of Labor had emphasized through a reminder on its website of the inclusion of landscaping in relation to public works projects, public funding and improvement of public property to help avoid any confusion and misinterpretation,?EUR??,,????'?? Julka said.

For example, removal of trees on public property is automatically covered under the law, as is tree removal on private property when it is paid for through public funds, Julka said.

?EUR??,,????'??All workers on projects covered by Illinois?EUR??,,????'??? Prevailing Wage Act are entitled to the prevailing wage. In the act, there are no exemptions on the classifications of workers or the types of workers,?EUR??,,????'?? Julka said.