Need guidance on the following:  We are working on a Federal RFP that is
subject to the service contract act.  This requires contractors to pay
service employees no less than prevailing wage and fringe benefits found
in the geographic area where work will be performed.  The RFP includes a
DOL wage determination which lists various job titles and their wages.
In this RFP we are given job titles and we have to proposed equivalent
job titles and are required to provide hourly labor rates for the
costing evaluation.  There is a costing form where we list our
non-exempt titles and rate and list the equivalnet DOL titles and rates.
In the example given the contractor rate are equal or higher than the
DOL rates.

Question(s):  What to do if the labor rates for our university titles
are less than the DOL wage determination?  Will showing them as lower
raise a red flag?
Are state universities exempt from this clause?  From my review it I
think this does apply to state universities as it would to any other
contractor.  If you know otherwise please let me know.
The DOL wage determination included in the RFP coverd a major
metropolitian area and our university is located about 100 miles away in
a more rural area.  Would it be appropriate to list lower wages than the
DOL one and if valid use the argument that wages are indeed lower in
this area?

Or would the safe bet be to find our labor titles (with a higher level
of education or experience)  that would not be lower than the DOL
determined wages.

Of course this is due in the nest few days.

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