(a) No person, agent or officer thereof, or logging contractor, or sawmill operations contractor, engaged in the business of logging or operating a sawmill for converting logs into lumber, except in the case of logging or sawmill operations of persons having a free and unencumbered title to the fee of real property in this state, of a market value sufficient to pay the wages of every person employed in connection with such operations in any period for which a single payment of wages is made, shall fail or neglect, before commencing work in any period for which such single payment of wages is made, or for four calendar weeks, whichever is the longer, to do one of the following:
(1) Have on hand or on deposit with a bank or trust company, in the county where such business is conducted, or if there is no bank or trust company in the county, then in the bank or trust company nearest such operations, cash or readily salable securities of a market value sufficient to pay the wages of every person employed in connection with such operations for such period.
(2) Deposit with the Labor Commissioner the bond of a surety company authorized to do business within the state, acceptable to the Labor Commissioner, conditioned upon the payment of all wages found by the Labor Commissioner to be due and unpaid in connection with such operations.
(b) The cash and securities on deposit referred to in subdivision (a) shall not be commingled with other deposits, securities or property of the employer and shall be held in trust and shall not be used for any other purpose than paying the wages due employees. Such moneys so held in trust are not subject to the enforcement of a money judgment by any other creditor of the employer.
(c) Any person, agent or officer thereof, or logging contractor, or sawmill operations contractor, who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(Amended by Stats. 1982, Ch. 497, Sec. 131. Operative July 1, 1983, by Sec. 185 of Ch. 497.)