EP 1180-1-1
1 Aug 01
culmination of an effort to extend the same protections enjoyed by contractor employees performing
under Federal construction and supply contracts who are covered by the Davis-Bacon and
Walsh-Healey Acts, respectively. Common to each of these labor standards statutes is a recognition of
the consequences of certain procurement regulations. Due to the procurement requirement that the
government award contracts to the lowest bid of any responsible bidder, low bidding can result in
downward wage pressure. These pressures are particularly acute under service contracts which are more
labor intensive than either construction or supply contracts. An examination of the legislative history of the
Service Contract Act discloses a congressional intent to relieve the pressures to depress wages in the
competition for Government service contracts. Further, it was deemed essential as a matter of public
policy to afford such protection to service workers who are primarily low-paid, low-skilled, least likely to
be organized, and thus most likely to benefit from the establishment of a "floor" below which wages
should not fall.
c. Many labor relations problems involve interpretation of law, and for this reason, questions will
arise in the field that are not covered in this pamphlet. Such problems should be brought to the immediate
attention of the District Counsel and the District Labor Advisor or Contractor Industrial Relations
Specialist (CIRS).
1-7. Responsibilities.
a. Contracting Officer (CO). The administration of labor standards provisions is the responsibility of
the CO and adequate means of assuring compliance are provided by the contract and regulations of the
Secretary of Labor. The CO may assign specific duties as he deems appropriate for program objectives.
The COs staff shall be responsible for:
(1) The timely submission of a Notice of Intention to Make a Service Contract, Standard Forms
98/98a to the Administrator, Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration,
Department of Labor for each covered service contract.
(2) The incorporation of the appropriate wage determinations and contract clauses in corresponding
Invitation-For-Bid (IFB) and Requests-For-Proposal (RFP). These clauses are set forth at FAR
52.222.
(3) The review and evaluation of all contractor requests for authorization of additional classification
and rate when such classifications are not provided in the applicable contract wage determination and the
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