California: Governor Pushes for Prevailing Wage Exemption for Volunteers
According to the Central Valley Business Times:
Unless the California Legislature extends a current exemption, anyone who volunteers to work on a public project would have to be paid the local prevailing wage beginning in 2009 and could not donate their labor. Central Valley state Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield, is sponsoring legislation to extend indefinitely the current exemption from prevailing wages for volunteers.
On Monday, Mr. Ashburn got the support of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “California’s most precious resource is the compassion and generosity of our people,” Mr. Schwarzenegger says. He says unless the bill is passed, the state may have to turn away volunteers on projects ranging from beach cleanups to assisting victims of wildfires...click to continue.
