[mant]

I was wondering if anyone has dealt with this before. I'm doing a job for the State of NY and have to pay my workers the State's prevailing wages. We are doing stone work along one of the State highways. What has me confused is how they classify workers. For me, I let my laborers touch stone and set stone but does that now classify them as masons. There is no in between in their classifications. The States wages for laborers is $22.34 an hr and $26.71 for masons. I won't say any of my guys are masons yet maybe someday. You think I can keep them as laborers even though they touch stone? And on top of those wages there's an additional cost of $10.15 and $11.84 for supplemental benefits. They job is 80 miles from home so can I offer lodging and food as supplemental benefits or does it have to be something like health care or a pension plan?

[Paul]

Your state will set the regs on what they call labor and masons. As for benefits that must be paid to the workers or offered to the unions. Lodging and meals are not considered base for wages and are expenses that you must pay if they are kept away from their home.

[mant]

So what can be classified as a benefit, does it have be health care or a pension plan.