Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO v. Prevailing Wage Appeals Board

**What Happened** The Pennsylvania State Building & Construction Trades Council challenged a decision about whether workers on a construction project needed to be paid prevailing wages. The dispute centered on a construction project funded through tax increment financing, where future tax revenue from the developed area helps pay for the project. The Prevailing Wage Appeals Board had ruled that this type of funding didn't make it a "public work," meaning contractors didn't have to pay the higher prevailing wage rates that government projects typically require. **What the Court Decided** The Pennsylvania Supreme Court disagreed with the Appeals Board and sided with the union. The court ruled that when tax increment financing is used to fund construction, the project counts as a "public work" under Pennsylvania's Prevailing Wage Act. This means contractors must pay workers the prevailing wage rates for that area and type of work. **Why This Matters for Workers** This decision protects construction workers from wage theft by ensuring they receive fair compensation on projects funded with public money, even when that funding comes through tax increment financing. It prevents contractors from avoiding prevailing wage requirements by using creative financing structures, helping maintain higher wage standards across publicly-funded construction projects.