HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-13-2018 Item 14 Approval of a Community Workforce Agreement for the Water Resource Recovery Facility Project
Meeting Date: 11/13/2018
FROM: Derek Johnson, City Manager
J. Christine Dietrick, City Attorney
Carrie Mattingly, Utilities Director
Justin Pickard, Water Systems Consulting, Inc., WRRF Project Assistant Program
Manager
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF A COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT
(FORMERLY KNOWN AS PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT) FOR THE
WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
Authorize the City Manager to enter into a Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) in a final
form approved by the City Attorney (substantially in the form provided as Attachment A) with
The Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO and The Signatory Craft
Councils and Unions for the Water Resource Recovery Facility Project (WRRF).
DISCUSSION
Report in Brief
The purpose of this item is for Council to consider the tentative agreement negotiated between
City and Trades Council negotiating teams and, if acceptable, authorize the City Manager to
enter into a Community Workforce Agreement for the proposed Water Resource Recovery
Facility, subject to final approval as to form by the City Attorney. The agreement outlines basic
terms related to union activities, project labor procurement and referral protocols, work stoppage,
wages and benefits, management rights, dispute resolution, covered employees, and other terms
identified in Articles 1-20 of the CWA and the related attachments.
The CWA was negotiated by negotiating teams representing the City and the Tri-Counties
Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO and the Signatory Councils and Unions,
following direction from the City Council on July 10, 2018.
The fiscal impacts of a CWA on construction costs is not precisely quantifiable. Contradictory
literature is readily and publicly available that asserts that CWAs both increase and decrease
project costs. Existing public contracting laws and the terms of the City’s state funding require
the City to monitor and report on certain labor compliance programs. Thus, this report outlines
those estimated costs and additional incremental costs that staff believes can reasonably be
anticipated to ensure compliance with the CWA. Those incremental costs for administering the
technical requirements of the CWA are estimated to range from approximately $179,709 and
$274,306.
.
Packet Pg. 403
Item 14
Background
A Project Labor Agreement, or PLA, is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement between a
project owner and the construction trades. The agreement establishes the terms and conditions of
employment for the covered project. It is also commonly known as a community workforce
agreement, project stabilization agreement, or a community partnership agreement. For purposes
of this report and consistent with the title of the proposed agreement, hereinafter the tentative
agreement that is the subject of this report shall be referred to as a Community Workforce
Agreement, or CWA.
On July 10, 2018, City Council held a study session to gain understanding of the considerations
associated with Project Labor Agreements on public works projects (See Attachment B for July
10 Council Agenda Report). During the study session, City Council discussed the potential
benefits, risks, and costs of a Project Labor Agreement on the Water Resource Recovery Facility
(WRRF) Project (see Table 1) and heard extensive public testimony.
Table 1: Potential Risks, Costs & Benefits of Options
Current
City
Contract
Modified City Contract With
Local Hire Preference CWA
Benefits
No schedule
impact
Local worker participation goals
established
No schedule impact
Broad discretion for other workforce
goals
Local worker participation
goals established and monitored
and potential of increased local
worker participation and
training
Provides authority for union
contractors to prefer local
workers, which otherwise
would not be permitted
Work stoppages prohibited
Costs
No additional
cost
Local hire program administration
cost
Potential for increased construction
cost
Contract language development cost
Negotiation costs
PLA administration costs
Potential for increased
construction cost
Risks
Potential for
reduced local
worker
participation
Potential for
work stoppage
Potential for work stoppage
Potential for prolonged bid review &
award
Union contractors cannot prefer local
workers absent a PLA,
notwithstanding established goals
Potential delay to Construction
Management procurement
Potential for reduced non-union
local contractor participation
Potential construction schedule
delay
Packet Pg. 404
Item 14
At the conclusion of deliberations, by consensus, the City Council provided the following
direction to staff:
1. Proceed with the negotiation of a CWA for inclusion with the bid package for the WRRF,
including local hiring preference components.
a. CWA shall be negotiated by October 12, 2018 to incorporate the CWA agreement and
requirements into the WRRF bid documents and return to the City Council for approval,
maintaining the established project bidding schedule.
b. If a CWA is not negotiated by October 12, 2018, proceed with incorporating enhanced
local hire outreach requirements into WRRF bid documents and return to the City
Council for approval. (A draft of those provisions is included with this report as
Attachment C)
c. Pursue contract provisions that do not adversely affect project quality or schedule and do
not significantly increase costs.
NEGOTIATIONS
Preparation
On July 11, 2018, the City Attorney commenced communications with Ray Van der Nat, the
attorney for the Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council (Trades Council), which
represents 33 craft unions in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties. The City
Attorney also began the process to select and retain outside legal counsel to assist the City in its
negotiations. After conducting interviews, Mike Vlaming of Vlaming Associates was selected
and retained as the City’s CWA legal counsel/lead negotiator on July 18, 2018. Other negotiating
team members were City Attorney Dietrick, Utilities Director Mattingly, and WRRF Project
Assistant Program Manager Pickard, with the support and direction of the City Manager.
The negotiating team worked to further define negotiation parameters and priorities and
developed a negotiations plan to achieve tentative agreement no later than October 12, 2018.
Key Provisions
The negotiating team engaged with Trades Council representatives on August 10, 2018 in a half-
day in-person negotiating session. The draft agreement proposed by the Trades Council was
reviewed and City Council direction was discussed. City bargaining objectives, public input
received related to the Council study session, and input conveyed to staff and the City Council
by local contractors and contractors’ association representatives was shared.
Following the initial in-person meeting, the City’s negotiating team developed the first in a series
of four proposals and counter-proposals that were exchanged before reaching tentative
agreement on the substantive terms and conditions of a CWA, on October 11, 2018.
Packet Pg. 405
Item 14
Local Worker Participation. Pursuant to Council direction, the City’s primary objective in
negotiating a CWA with the Trades Council was to agree on terms calculated to maximize
employment opportunities on the WRRF Project for local residents and local contractors who
employ local workers. Without a CWA, unions must follow their standard referral procedures,
which typically require the unions to refer workers to projects based on the order in which they
registered with the union out-of-work list (i.e., first come, first served), without consideration of
local residency.
Thus, absent a CWA, if the low bidder on the project is a union signatory contractor, that
contractor and affiliated trades unions would have no legal ability to implement local hire
preferences, notwithstanding any contractual enhanced outreach or local hire provisions the City
might include in its bid documents. Contractors could enhance outreach efforts to encourage
local workers to add their names to the relevant union out of work list from which signatory
contractors are required to procure workers. However, the union would be required to make
referrals based on which workers registered first and the contractors would be required to accept
referrals from the union out-of-work list on a “first-in, first-out” basis, without regard to worker
residence location. A CWA allows signatory unions to modify their normal worker referral
procedures by giving preference to targeted work groups, including local residents, regardless of
their position on the out-of-work list. In other words, under the terms of a CWA like the one
recommended here, the union hall has the legal authority and commits to prioritize local workers
for employment on the City’s project. Non-union shops are not normally required to procure
labor from the out of work list and could implement means to directly recruit and prefer local
workers to work on the project, but employment of such workers cannot be mandated absent a
CWA.
Non-union workers can be referred to the WRRF Project by registering with the union hiring hall
and by paying the applicable representation fees during the course of their employment on the
project. Representation or “window fees” may or may not differ from union membership dues,
depending on trade and the requirements of each local. However, it is important to note that
non-union workers are not required actually to join a union to be eligible for employment on the
WRRF Project, they are not precluded from working for non-union contractors or on other non-
union projects, and discrimination in referral or hiring of workers on any public works project
based on union membership is legally prohibited. In other words, under a CWA, the union hall
serves as the point of contact and conduit for labor procurement through which all workers are
referred to the covered project, but workers do not have to become union members.
In recognition of the Council direction, the initial draft CWA proposed by the Trades Council
included provisions for preferential hiring of local workers, which is not traditionally a standard
provision. In the final tentative agreement, a goal of 30% of the total construction labor hours
worked on the WRRF Project has been established for local workers. A tiered system will be
utilized for the referral of local workers, with preference given to City of San Luis Obispo
residents first (Tier 1), San Luis Obispo County residents second (Tier 2), Santa Barbara and
Monterey Counties residents third (Tier 3), and Ventura County residents fourth (Tier 4). Unions
cannot refer workers in lower tiers to the WRRF Project until their best efforts have been made
to fulfill the 30% local worker goal from the highest tier (i.e., Tier 1). In the event the 30% local
worker goal has been met, unions will continue to refer workers to the WRRF Project using the
Packet Pg. 406
Item 14
tiered system to further increase participation on the project by local residents.
At the request of the Trades Council, the City’s negotiating team ultimately agreed to
recommend expanding the definition of local workers beyond the focus areas initially identified
by the Council to include Ventura County residents. Staff felt this was a reasonable concession to
advance negotiations on higher priority issues discussed below. The Trades Council represents
craft unions in Ventura County along with those located in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara
Counties, and inclusion of Ventura County aligns the CWA tiers with the Trades Council’s
regional representation area, which was necessary to obtain approval of the CWA from the
Trades Council’s affiliates.
The local worker hiring preference will be administered on the City’s behalf by the Community
Workforce Coordinator in cooperation with the unions, WRRF Project contractors, and
subcontractors. Contractors and subcontractors will be required to prepare and submit manpower
utilization plans detailing the schedule for the hiring of local residents to meet the local worker
participation goal. The Community Workforce Coordinator will coordinate with the unions to
determine the number of local residents available to meet the needs of the contractor and
subcontractors based on the manpower utilization plans. Local worker participation will be
monitored and reported on a monthly basis by compiling data from the certified payroll reports
prepared by the contractor and subcontractors. The Community Workforce Coordinator will
actively work with the contractor, subcontractors, and unions to meet the local worker
participation goal.
Core Employees. Utilization of core employees by non-union and local area contractors was a
key focus of negotiations with the Trades Council. The CWA designates the trade unions as the
exclusive source of craft labor on the WRRF Project and union referral systems must be used
exclusively by the general contractor and subcontractors of all tiers to obtain craft labor. The
draft CWA initially proposed by the Trades Council did not include provisions allowing non-
union contractors to employ their key personnel, or “core employees”, on the WRRF Project
without utilizing the union referral system. The proposed CWA provides for specific exclusions
that are narrowly focused on maintaining core workers for construction management, inspection,
and materials testing. Procurement of a construction manager was underway and authorized by
Council prior to direction received on July 10, 2018, and the selected construction management
team includes a local subconsultant, thus also furthering the goal of advancing the local hiring
objective. This issue is discussed extensively in the next sections of this report.
Local Area Contractors
As detailed in the July 10, 2018 Council Agenda Report, the negotiating team recognized the
absence of core worker provisions could disproportionately impact specialty subcontractors with
a small workforce, who generally rely more heavily on their core employees to effectively
perform their subcontracted scope of work, as compared to larger contractors. Specialty
subcontractors (e.g., roofers, glaziers, tile installers, sheet metal workers, landscapers, etc.) have
a smaller role relative to the overall scope of the WRRF Project, provide fewer employees and
less craft hours, and are more likely to be local contractors. Staff received input from local area
contractors and non-union contractor representatives that the inability of a local, non-union
contractor to utilize its core workforce could present a barrier to local contractor, and therefore
Packet Pg. 407
Item 14
local employee, participation on the WRRF Project.
To address this concern and minimize barriers to local contractor participation, the negotiating
team proposed terms allowing local area contractors – companies whose principal place of
business has been located within the City or County of San Luis Obispo for at least one year –
the ability to directly employ three of their core workers before being required to use the union
referral system. After employing three initial core workers, local area contractors can continue
employing core workers on a one-to-one ratio with union referrals until a maximum of seven
core workers have been employed. After seven core workers have been employed, any additional
employees must be obtained through the standard union referral system. Staff believes this
provision will increase the ability of local, non-union contractors to participate in the WRRF
Project by utilizing their core workforce and will increase employment opportunities for local
residents.
Non-Union Contractors
In addition to local area contractors, the absence of core worker provisions impacts the ability of
non-union contractors to participate in the WRRF Project. Non-union contractors generally rely
on their core workforce in key oversight positions, typically as forepersons, just as union
contractors rely on their key personnel to effectively deliver complex construction projects. The
inability of non-union contractors to utilize their key workforce could present significant risk
associated with labor uncertainty, and staff received input that such barriers could deter non-
union contractors from participating on the WRRF Project, which could minimize competition in
the bidding pool and adversely impact project costs.
Staff also negotiated a provision allowing non-union contractors the ability to employ up to five
core workers on the WRRF Project. Core workers can be employed on a one-to-one ratio with
union referrals, with the first employee being a core worker, the second employee a union
referral, and the third employee a core worker. This alternating process continues until a
maximum of five core employees is reached. Staff received input that such provisions increase
the likelihood of non-union contractors participating in the WRRF Project by being able to
utilize at least a portion of their familiar core workforce, regardless of the location of their
principal place of business.
Construction Inspection. Quality assurance of the WRRF Project improvements is an essential
function performed by the City’s construction manager and its inspection staff to ensure the
facility is constructed in accordance with the contract documents. Construction inspectors, field
soils testers, and other personnel performing quality assurance and quality control functions are
covered crafts under a CWA, subject to the core worker limitations and union referral procedures
set forth in the agreement. The draft CWA initially proposed by the Trades Council included
broadly written language including construction inspectors, field soils testers, materials testers,
and anyone performing quality control or quality assurance work as covered crafts under the
CWA.
Exemption of the construction manager, its inspection staff, and its field soils and materials
testing subconsultant was one of the key negotiating objectives identified by the City Council, as
procurement of a construction manager for the WRRF Project was underway when City Council
Packet Pg. 408
Item 14
directed staff to initiate CWA negotiations. The City’s request for proposals for construction
management services did not reference the potential inclusion of a CWA in the professional
services agreement, and the addition of a CWA during the procurement process would have
delayed the selection process and significantly impacted the WRRF Project schedule.
In addition, the firm ultimately selected by the City to provide construction management services
for the WRRF Project included a local, non-union subconsultant to provide specialty inspection
and materials testing services who was unwilling to agree to the terms and conditions of a CWA.
Thus, inclusion of that subconsultant under the agreement risked losing participation of a local
firm and its local employees and compromising the efficient delivery and quality of the
professional services to the project. After significant and lengthy negotiation, the parties reached
tentative agreement on the recommended provisions that exempt the services under contract with
the City’s previously retained construction manager as part of a packaged proposal that includes
a concession of an equivalent benefits provision initially proposed by the City’s negotiating team
and detailed in a subsequent section of this report.
Apprentices. The draft CWA initially proposed by the Trades Council included provisions
designating union-sponsored apprenticeship programs as the sole source of apprentices on the
WRRF Project. Local, non-union contractor representatives expressed concern with this typical
CWA provision in a discussion with the City Attorney and Utilities staff prior to the start of
negotiations with the Trades Council. In its initial counter-proposal, the City’s negotiating team
drafted language allowing apprentices from any state and Federal Department of Labor-approved
apprenticeship programs to participate in the WRRF Project.
The City’s proposed inclusion of non-union affiliated apprenticeship programs was of significant
concern to the Trades Council and its affiliates, as apprentice positions provide valuable training
opportunities for union apprentices and further the unions’ primary goal of increasing
employment opportunities for union members. After exchanging several proposals and counter-
proposals, the City’s negotiating team agreed to accept apprenticeship programs limited to those
sponsored by unions. Staff tentatively accepted the provision both to advance negotiations and as
a practical consideration in recognition of the very few local, non-union apprenticeship programs
capable of referring apprentices of sufficient numbers to meet Labor Code Requirements.
Benefits. CWAs require all contractors, regardless of union affiliation, to pay fringe benefit
contributions directly to union trust funds on behalf of their employees for the duration of the
employees’ time spent working on the covered project. Local, non-union contractor
representatives expressed concern with the administrative burden of changing their standard
business practices to meet this requirement and noted that the payment of fringe benefits to union
trusts could result in additional costs. Additional costs could potentially be incurred as a result of
double payment of fringe benefits while non-union employers transition benefit coverage from
the employer-provided plan to the union-provided plan.
To address this concern, the City’s negotiating team proposed a provision that would allow local,
non-union contractors the ability to demonstrate to the City’s Community Workforce
Coordinator and the unions that it provides its construction craft employees with company-paid
health care and/or retirement benefits of equivalent value to the health care and retirement
Packet Pg. 409
Item 14
benefits provided by the union trust funds. The Trades Council and its affiliates were opposed to
the inclusion of this provision in the CWA, for a number of practical and administrative
concerns, including long-term record keeping associated with later claims for union benefits. The
City’s negotiating team ultimately agreed to the inclusion of this provision to advance
negotiations on the utilization of core employees by local contractors and the exclusion of
inspection and quality assurance staff from the CWA as detailed in the preceding sections of the
report.
Summary
The final, negotiated CWA represents significant concessions by both the City and the Trades
Council; however, the agreement meets City Council’s primary objectives of maximizing
employment of local workers and opportunities for local contractors without adversely impacting
the quality, schedule, or cost of the WRRF Project. The City Attorney’s office, Utilities staff, and
the WRRF Project Program Management Team will actively work with the WRRF Project
contractors, the Trades Council, and the affiliated unions to successfully implement the
agreement and meet the local worker participation goals.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
There is no project subject to environmental review associated with the approval of a
Community Workforce Agreement. Nothing related to the approval of a CWA affects otherwise
applicable environmental review of the WRRF project, which is in compliance with all
applicable requirements. The WRRF project itself was analyzed under a separate Environmental
Impact Report which was certified by the City Council on August 16, 2016.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total cost for CWA administration and labor compliance program implementation is
estimated to cost between $325,339 and $498,444. The cost estimate assumes that the
Community Workforce Coordinator, who is responsible for administering the CWA on behalf of
the City, will also serve as the administrator of the WRRF labor compliance program, which is
required to satisfy outside funding requirements. The scope of CWA administration and labor
compliance program implementation overlaps (e.g., certified payroll review, verification of
fringe benefit payments, monitoring of apprentice utilization, etc.), and cost efficiencies can be
realized by combining the two roles.
If the City decides not to move forward with a CWA, a labor compliance program will still be
required at a cost of approximately $145,630 to $224,138. The additional costs of CWA
administration over and above the costs of labor compliance are estimated to range between
$179,709 and $274,306. The costs of standard labor compliance program implementation and
CWA administration are shown in Table 2.
Packet Pg. 410
Item 14
Table 2. CWA and Labor Compliance Implementation and Administration Cost Estimate
TASK
LABOR COMPLIANCE
PROGRAM
CWA
ADMINISTRATION
ADDITIONAL COST OF
CWA ADMINISTRATION
RESOURCE Low High Low High Low High
Utilities Department $7,347 $8,266 $10,217 $12,743 $2,870 $4,477
City Attorney $526 $1,053 $3,422 $6,054 $2,895 $5,001
Outside Counsel $0 $0 $6,300 $11,100 $6,300 $11,100
Design Engineer $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Program Management $15,616 $19,520 $53,680 $78,568 $38,064 $59,048
Community Workforce
Coordinator $0 $0 $251,720 $389,980 $251,720 $389,980
Labor Compliance
Coordinator $122,140 $195,300 $0 $0 $(122,140) $(195,300)
SUBTOTAL $145,630 $224,138 $325,339 $498,444 $179,709 $274,306
The costs to date for outside counsel CWA negotiation support are approximately $20,000 and
those services are anticipated to conclude well under the approved contract cap of $40,000. The
City also incurred additional program management costs of approximately $14,000 associated
with the negotiations of the CWA.
ALTERNATIVES
Elect not to enter into the CWA with the Tri Counties Building and Construction Trades Council.
The City Council may choose not to approve execution of the CWA at this time. Council may
select this alternative if it believes that additional negotiations with the Trades Council are
warranted or if a CWA would not benefit the WRRF Project.
Elect to require enhanced local outreach by the WRRF Project bidders in lieu of a CWA. The
City Council may choose to implement an enhanced local outreach program in lieu of a CWA,
whereby bidders on the WRRF Project would be required to perform targeted outreach to local
contractors to increase participation on the WRRF Project by local contractors and local workers.
Attachment C includes enhance outreach contract provisions.
Attachments:
a - SLO WRRF Project Agreement
b - 07-10-2018 Item 13 - WRRF Project Labor Agreement Eval
c - Local Contractor Good Faith Outreach Requirements_20180907
Packet Pg. 411
Item 14
COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT
BY AND BETWEEN
THE CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
AND
THE TRI COUNTIES BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL, AFL-CIO
AND
THE SIGNATORY CRAFT COUNCILS AND UNIONS
FOR
THE WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY PROJECT
Packet Pg. 412
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 2 Community Workforce Agreement
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page
ARTICLE 1 INTENT AND PURPOSE 5
ARTICLE 2 SCOPE OF AGREEMENT 6
ARTICLE 3 UNION RECOGNITION AND EMPLOYMENT 10
ARTICLE 4 UNION ACCESS AND STEWARDS 15
ARTICLE 5 WAGES AND BENEFITS 16
ARTICLE 6 WORK STOPPAGES AND LOCKOUTS 17
ARTICLE 7 WORK ASSIGNMENTS AND JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES 21
ARTICLE 8 MANAGEMENT RIGHTS 22
ARTICLE 9 SETTLEMENT OF GRIEVANCES AND DISPUTES 24
ARTICLE 10 REGULATORY COMPLIANCE 26
ARTICLE 11 SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF PERSON AND PROPERTY 27
ARTICLE 12 TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE 27
ARTICLE 13 APPRENTICES 27
ARTICLE 14 PRE-JOB CONFERENCES 28
ARTICLE 15 LABOR/MANAGEMENT COOPERATION 29
ARTICLE 16 SAVINGS AND SEPARABILITY 29
ARTICLE 17 WAIVER 30
ARTICLE 18 AMENDMENTS 30
ARTICLE 19 ENTIRE AGREEMENT 30
ARTICLE 20 DURATION OF THE AGREEMENT 31
ATTACHMENT A – LETTER OF ASSENT 34
ATTACHMENT B – LOCAL RESIDENT ZIP CODES 35
ATTACHMENT C – CRAFT EMPLOYEE REQUEST FORM 36
ATTACHMENT D – DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY 38
Packet Pg. 413
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 3 Community Workforce Agreement
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY PROJECT
COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT
This Community Workforce Agreement (hereinafter, “Agreement”) is entered into by
and between the City of San Luis Obispo and its successors or assigns, (“City”), the Tri Counties
Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO (the “Council”), and the signatory Craft
Councils and Unions signing this Agreement (hereinafter together with the Council, collectively,
the “Unions”). This Agreement establishes the labor relations guidelines and procedures for the
City and for the Contractors and craft employees represented by the Unions and engaged in
Project Work. The City, Council and Unions are hereinafter referred to herein, as the context
may require, as “Party” or “Parties.”
The Parties to this Agreement understand that if this Agreement is acceptable to the City,
the policy of the City will be for the Project Work to be contracted exclusively to Contractors
who agree to execute and be bound by the terms of this Agreement, directly or through the Letter
of Assent (a form of which is attached as “Attachment A”), and to require each of its
subcontractors, of whatever tier, to become bound. The City shall include, directly or by
incorporation by reference, the requirements of this Agreement in the advertisement of and/or
specifications for each and every contract for Project Work to be awarded by the City.
The City shall actively administer and enforce the obligations of this Agreement to
ensure that the benefits envisioned from it flow to all signatory Parties, the Contractors and crafts
persons working under it, and the residents of the City. The City shall therefore designate a
“Community Workforce Coordinator,” either from its own staff or an independent contractor
acting on behalf of the City, who will, with the support of the Contractors and Unions, monitor
compliance with this Agreement; assist, as the authorized representative of the City, in
developing and implementing the programs referenced herein, all of which are critical to
fulfilling the intent and purposes of the Parties and this Agreement; and to otherwise implement
and administer this Agreement.
The term “Apprentice” as used in this Agreement shall mean those employees registered
and participating in Joint Labor/Apprenticeship Programs approved by the Division of
Apprenticeship Standards, Department of Industrial Relations of the State of California, and the
Federal Department of Labor to the extent required by any Project funding source.
The term “Contractor” as used in this Agreement includes any individual, firm,
partnership, or corporation, or combination thereof, including joint ventures, which as an
Independent Contractor has entered into a contract with the City with respect to the Project
Work, or with another Contractor as a subcontractor of whatever tier utilized by such Contractors
for Project Work.
The term “Joint Labor/Apprenticeship Program” or “Approved Apprenticeship
Programs,” as used in this Agreement means a joint Union and Contractor administered
apprenticeship program certified by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, Department of
Industrial Relations of the State of California, and the Federal Department of Labor to the extent
required by any Project funding source.
Packet Pg. 414
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 4 Community Workforce Agreement
The term “Local Area Resident” as used in this Agreement means a qualified person
whose principal residence is located within the territory covered by the zip codes contained in
Appendix B to this Agreement in priority order.
The term “Local Area Contractor” as used in this Agreement means a construction
contracting entity whose principal place of business is located within the territory of Tier 1 or
Tier 2 contained in Appendix B to this Agreement and has so located and continuously operated
for a period of at least one (1) year prior to the award of Project Work.
The term “Letter of Assent” as used in this Agreement means the document that each
Contractor (of any tier) must sign and submit to the Community Workforce Coordinator and the
Council, before beginning any Project Work, which formally binds them to adhere to all
applicable forms, requirements and conditions of this Agreement, in the form of the letter
attached hereto as Attachment A.
The term “Project” or “Project Work” as used in this Agreement means the City’s
construction, abatement, demolition, renovation, rehabilitation, upgrade and improvement work,
and new construction as described in Section 2.2 of this Agreement and as contracted out by the
City.
The terms “Master Labor Agreements” or “MLAs,” as used in this Agreement, means the
local collective bargaining agreements of the signatory Unions having jurisdiction over the
Project Work and which have signed this Agreement.
The term “Subscription Agreement” means the contract between a Contractor and a
Union’s Labor/Management Trust Fund(s) that allows the Contractor to make the appropriate
fringe benefit contributions in accordance with the terms of MLA.
The Union and all Contractors agree to abide by the terms and conditions of this
Agreement and agree that this Agreement represents the complete understanding of the Parties.
No Contractor is or will be required to sign or otherwise become a party to any other collective
bargaining agreement with a signatory Union as a condition of performing work within the scope
of this Agreement.
The Parties agree that this Agreement will be made available to, and will fully apply to,
any successful bidder for Project Work, without regard to whether that successful bidder
performs work at other sites on either a union or non-union basis. This Agreement shall not
apply to any work of any Contractor other than that on Project Work specifically covered by this
Agreement.
The use of masculine or feminine gender or titles in this Agreement should be construed
as including both genders and not as gender limitations unless the Agreement clearly requires a
different construction. Further, the use of Article titles and/or Section headings are for
information only and carry no legal significance.
Packet Pg. 415
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 5 Community Workforce Agreement
ARTICLE 1
INTENT AND PURPOSE
Section 1.1 Identification and Retention of Skilled Labor and Employment of Local Area
Residents: The construction and capital improvement work scheduled to be performed by the
City will require large numbers of craft personnel and other supporting workers. The parties
understand and intend to use the opportunities provided by the extensive amount of work to be
covered by this Agreement to identify and promote, through cooperative efforts, programs and
procedures (which may include, for example, programs to prepare persons for entrance into
formal apprenticeship programs, or outreach programs to the community describing
opportunities available as a result of the Project), the interest and involvement of Local Area
Residents in the construction industry; assist them in entering the construction trades, and
through utilization of the approved apprenticeship programs, provide training opportunities for
those Local Area Residents and other individuals wishing to pursue a career in construction.
Further, with assistance of the Community Workforce Coordinator, the City, the Contractors, the
Unions and their affiliated regional and national organizations, will work jointly to develop and
implement procedures promptly for the identification of craft needs, the scheduling of work to
facilitate the utilization of available craft workers, and to secure the services of craft workers in
sufficient numbers to meet the high demands of the Project Work to be undertaken.
Section 1.2 Encouragement of Local Area Contractors: The Project will provide many
opportunities for local contractors and suppliers to participate, and the parties therefore agree that
they will cooperate with all efforts of the City, the Community Workforce Coordinator, and other
organizations retained by the City for the purpose of encouraging and assisting the participation
of such businesses in Project Work. The parties shall ensure that the provisions of this
Agreement do not inadvertently establish impediments to the participation of Local Area
Contractors and Local Area Residents.
Section 1.3 Project Cooperation: The parties recognize that the construction to take place
under this Agreement involves unique and special circumstances which dictate the need for the
parties to develop specific procedures to promote high quality, rapid and uninterrupted
construction methods, and practices. The smooth operation and cost effective, successful and
timely completion of the work is vitally important to the City. The parties therefore agree that
maximum cooperation among all parties involved is required; and that with construction work of
this magnitude, with multiple contractors and crafts performing work on multiple sites over an
extended period of time, all parties agree to work in a spirit of harmony and cooperation, and
with an overriding commitment to maintain the continuity and timely completion of Project
Work.
Section 1.4 Workers' Compensation Carve-out: Further, the parties recognize the potential
which the Project may provide for the implementation of a cost-effective workers' compensation
system as permitted by California Labor Code, Section 3201.5, as revised. Should the City
request, the Union parties agree to meet and negotiate in good faith with representatives of the
City for the development, and subsequent implementation, of an effective program involving
improved and revised dispute resolution and medical care procedures for the delivery of
workers’ compensation benefits and medical coverage as permitted by the Code.
Packet Pg. 416
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 6 Community Workforce Agreement
Section 1.5 Peaceful Resolution of All Disputes: In recognition of the special needs of the
Project and to maintain a spirit of harmony, labor-management peace and stability during the
term of this Community Workforce Agreement, the parties agree to establish effective and
binding methods for the settlement of all misunderstandings, disputes and grievances; and in
recognition of such methods and procedures, the unions agree not to engage in any strike,
slowdowns, interruptions, or disruption of Project Work, and the contractors agree not to engage
in any lockout, or any other action impairing or impeding the Project Work.
Section 1.6 Binding Agreement on Parties and Inclusion of Local Area Residents and
Businesses: By executing this Agreement, the City, Council, Unions and Contractors agree to be
bound by each and all of the provisions of this Agreement, and pledge that they will work
together to adopt, develop, and implement processes and procedures which are inclusive of the
residents and businesses of the City.
ARTICLE 2
SCOPE OF AGREEMENT
Section 2.1 General: This Agreement shall only apply to work which is contracted out by the
City, as specified in Section 2.2 of this Article, performed by those Contractor(s) of whatever tier
that have contracts awarded for such work.
Section 2.2 Specific: The Project is defined and limited to:
2.2.1 All construction, abatement, demolition, renovation, rehabilitation, upgrade and
improvement work and new construction to be performed pursuant to or under a contract with
the City for the Water Resource Recovery Facility Project (City Spec. Number 91620) as finally
approved and constructed, and all subcontracts flowing from this contract (“Project
Work”), except that work performed under the contract with the City’s construction manager
shall be excluded from the scope of this Agreement; and
2.2.2 The Parties understand that the City may at any time, and at its sole discretion,
determine to build segments of the Project under this Agreement which were not currently
proposed, or to modify or not to build any one or more particular segments proposed to be
covered. It is understood by the Parties that the City may at any time, and at its sole discretion,
add additional projects under this Agreement not otherwise covered by this Agreement.
Section 2.3 Exclusions: Items specifically excluded from the Scope of this Agreement
include the following:
2.3.1 Work of non-manual employees, including but not limited to: superintendents;
administrators; supervisors; time keepers; mail carriers; clerks; office workers; messengers;
guards; safety personnel; emergency medical and first aid technicians; and other professional,
engineering, administrative, supervisory and management employees;
2.3.2 Equipment and machinery operated by the City;
Packet Pg. 417
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 7 Community Workforce Agreement
2.3.3 All off-site manufacture and handling of materials, equipment, or machinery;
provided, however, that lay down or storage areas for equipment or material and manufacturing
(prefabrication) sites, dedicated solely to the Project or Project Work, and the movement of
materials or goods between locations on a Project site are within the scope of this Agreement;
2.3.4 All employees of the City, Community Workforce Coordinator, design teams
(including, but not limited to, architects engineers and master planners), or any other consultants
for the City (including, but not limited to, project managers and construction managers and their
employees not engaged in Project Work) and their sub-consultants, and other employees of
professional service organizations, not performing manual labor within the scope of this
Agreement.
2.3.5 Any work performed on or near or leading to or into a site of work covered by
this Agreement and undertaken by state, county, city, California Polytechnic University, or other
governmental bodies, or their Contractors or consultants; or by public utilities, or their
Contractors or consultants; and/or by the City or its Contractors or consultants (for work that is
not within the scope of this Agreement);
2.3.6 Off-site maintenance of leased equipment and on-site supervision of such work;
2.3.7 Work required to be performed by the manufacturer’s personnel and/or
personnel certified by the manufacturer, subject to the conditions provided in this section.
Certain equipment and systems of a highly technical and specialized nature may have to be
installed at the Project. The nature of such equipment and systems, together with requirements of
manufacturer’s warranty, may dictate that it be prefabricated, pre-piped, and/or pre-wired. The
Unions agree to install such material, equipment and systems without incident, or allow such
installation to be performed by the manufacturer’s employees or a contractor designated by the
manufacturer where the Unions are unable to perform such work. If a warranty on the
manufacturer’s specialty or technical equipment or systems purchased by the City requires that
the installation and/or programming of such specialty or technical equipment or system be
performed by the manufacturer’s own personnel or a contractor certified by the manufacturer,
and there are no Union signatory contractors certified or authorized by the manufacturer to install
and/or perform such work, then such installation and or programming shall not be covered under
this Agreement. The General Contractor shall notify the Unions at the pre-job conference of the
use of this provision and shall provide copies of the written warranty that require that the work
be performed by the manufacturer’s own personnel or a contractor certified by the manufacturer,
to the affected Union. When the warranty does not require installation or programming by the
manufacturer’s own personnel or a contractor certified by the manufacturer, the Unions agree to
perform and install such work under the supervision and direction of the manufacturer’s
representative;
2.3.8 Non-construction support services contracted by the City, Community Workforce
Coordinator, or Contractor in connection with this Project;
2.3.9 Off-site laboratory work for testing;
Packet Pg. 418
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 8 Community Workforce Agreement
2.3.10 The movement and placement of free-standing furniture owned or controlled by
the Owner; however, the installation of office furniture that is attached to the realty shall be
covered by this Agreement.
2.4 After installation by the Contractor(s) and upon notice of completion, it is understood the
City reserves the right to perform start-up, operation, repair, maintenance or revision of
equipment or systems with persons of the City’s choice. If required, the service representative
may make a final check to protect the terms of a manufacturer’s guarantee or warranty prior to
start-up of a piece of equipment.
Section 2.5 Awarding of Contracts:
2.5.1 The City and/or the Contractors, as appropriate, have the absolute right to award
contracts or subcontracts on this Project to any Contractor notwithstanding the existence or non-
existence of any agreements between such Contractor and any Union parties, provided only that
such Contractor is ready, willing and able to execute and comply with this Community
Workforce Agreement should such Contractor be awarded work covered by this Agreement.
2.5.2 Subject to section 2.6, below, it is agreed that all Contractors and subcontractors
of whatever tier, who have been awarded contracts for work covered by this Agreement, shall be
required to accept and be bound to the terms and conditions of this Community Workforce
Agreement, and shall evidence their acceptance by the execution of the Letter of Assent set forth
in Attachment “A” hereto, prior to the commencement of work. At the time that any Contractor
enters into a subcontract with any subcontractor of any tier providing for the performance on the
construction contract, the Contractor shall provide a copy of this Agreement to said
subcontractor and shall require the subcontractor, as a part of accepting the award of a
construction subcontract, to agree in writing in the form of a Letter of Assent to be bound by
each and every provision of this Agreement prior to the commencement of work on the Project.
No Contractor or subcontractor shall commence Project Work without having first provided a
copy of the Letter of Assent as executed by it to the Community Workforce Coordinator and to
the Council forty-eight (48) hours before the commencement of Project Work, or within forty-
eight (48) hours after the award of Project Work to that Contractor (or subcontractor), whichever
occurs later.
Section 2.6 Coverage Exception: This Agreement shall not apply if the City receives funding
or assistance from any Federal, State, local or other public entity for the Construction Contract if
a requirement, condition or other term of receiving that funding or assistance, at the time of the
awarding of the contract, is that the City not require bidders, contractors, subcontractors or other
persons or entities to enter into an agreement with one or more labor organizations or enter into
an agreement that contains any of the terms set forth herein. The City agrees that it will make
every effort to establish the enforcement of this Agreement with any governmental agency or
granting authority.
Packet Pg. 419
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 9 Community Workforce Agreement
Section 2.7 Master Labor Agreements:
2.7.1 The provisions of this Agreement, including the Master Labor Agreements
(hereinafter “MLAs”), as such may be changed from time-to-time and which are incorporated
herein by reference, shall apply to the work covered by this Agreement. This Agreement is not
intended to supersede the MLAs between any of the Employers performing construction work on
the Project and a Union signatory thereto except to the extent the provisions of this Agreement
are inconsistent with such MLAs, in which event the provisions of this Agreement shall apply.
However, such does not apply to work performed under the National Cooling Tower Agreement,
the National Stack Agreement, the National Transit Division Agreement (NTD), work within the
jurisdiction of the International Union of Elevator Constructors, and all instrument calibration
and loop checking work performed under the terms of the UA/IBEW Joint National Agreement
for Instrument and Control Systems Technicians except that Articles dealing with Work
Stoppages and Lock-Outs, Work Assignments and Jurisdictional Disputes, and Settlement of
Grievances and Disputes shall apply to such work. Where a subject is covered by the provisions
of an MLA and not covered by this Agreement, the provisions of the MLA shall apply. It is
specifically agreed that no later agreement shall be deemed to have precedence over this
Agreement unless signed by all Parties signatory hereto who are then currently employed or
represented at the Project. Any dispute as to the applicable source between this Agreement and
any MLA for determining the wages, hours or working conditions of employees on this Project
shall be resolved under the procedures established in Article 9.
2.7.2 It is understood that this Agreement, together with the referenced MLAs,
constitutes a self-contained, stand-alone agreement and by virtue of having become bound to this
Community Workforce Agreement, the Contractor will not be obligated to sign any other local,
area or national collective bargaining agreement as a condition of performing work within the
scope of this Agreement (provided, however, that the Contractor may be required to sign an
uniformly applied, non-discriminatory “Subscription Agreement” at the request of the trustees or
administrator of a trust fund established pursuant to Section 302 of the Labor Management
Relations Act, and to which such Contractor is bound to make contributions under this
Agreement, provided that such Subscription Agreement does not purport to bind the Contractor
beyond the terms and conditions of this Agreement and/or expand its obligation to make
contributions pursuant thereto). It shall be the responsibility of the prime Contractor to have
each of its subcontractors sign such Subscription Agreement, to the extent required by this
Agreement, with the appropriate Craft Union prior to the subcontractor beginning Project Work.
Section 2.8 Binding Signatories Only: This Agreement shall only be binding on the signatory
Parties hereto, and shall not apply to the parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, or other ventures of any
such Party.
Section 2.9 Other City Work: This Agreement shall be limited to the construction work
within the Scope of this Agreement including, specifically, site preparation and related
demolition work, and new construction and major rehabilitation work referenced in Section 2.2
above. Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to prohibit, restrict, or interfere with the
performance of any other operation, work or function not covered by this Agreement, which may
Packet Pg. 420
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 10 Community Workforce Agreement
be performed by City employees or contracted for by the City for its own account, on its property
or in and around a Project site.
Section 2.10 Separate Liability: It is understood that the liability of the Contractor(s) and the
liability of the separate Unions under this Agreement shall be several and not joint. The Unions
agree that this Agreement does not have the effect of creating any joint employment status
between or among the City or Community Workforce Coordinator and/or any Contractor.
Section 2.11 Completed Project Work: As areas, phases, portions, sections or segments of
Project Work are accepted by the City, this Agreement shall have no further force or effect on
such items or areas except where the Contractor is directed by the City or its representatives to
engage in repairs, modification, check-out and/or warranties functions required by its contract(s)
with the City.
ARTICLE 3
UNION RECOGNITION AND EMPLOYMENT
Section 3.1 Recognition: The Contractor recognizes the Council and the Unions as the
exclusive bargaining representative for the employees engaged in Project Work.
Section 3.2 Contractor Selection of Employees: The Contractor shall have the right to
determine the competency of all employees, the duties of such employees within their craft
jurisdiction, and shall have the sole responsibility for selecting employees to be laid off. The
Contractor shall also have the right to reject any applicant referred by a Union for any reason,
subject to any reporting pay required under the appropriate MLA; provided, however, that such
right is exercised in good faith and not for the purpose of avoiding the Contractor’s commitment
to employ qualified workers through the procedures endorsed in this Agreement.
Section 3.3 Referral Procedures:
3.3.1 For signatory Unions now having a job referral system contained in a MLA, the
Contractor agrees to comply with such system and it shall be used exclusively by such
Contractor, except as modified by this Agreement. Such job referral system will be operated in a
nondiscriminatory manner and in full compliance with federal, state, and local laws and
regulations which require equal employment opportunities and non-discrimination. All of the
foregoing hiring procedures, including related practices affecting apprenticeship, shall be
operated so as to consider the goals of the City to encourage employment of Local Area
Residents and participation of Local Area Contractors on the Project, and to facilitate the ability
of all Contractors to meet their employment needs.
3.3.2 The Unions will exert their best efforts to recruit and refer sufficient numbers of
skilled craft workers to fulfill the labor requirements of the Contractor, including specific
employment obligations to which the Contractor may be legally and/or contractually obligated;
and to refer apprentices as requested to develop a larger, skilled workforce. The Unions will
work with their affiliated regional and national unions, and jointly with the Community
Workforce Coordinator and others designated by the City, to identify and refer competent craft
Packet Pg. 421
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 11 Community Workforce Agreement
persons as needed for Project Work, and to identify and hire individuals, giving preference to
Local Area Residents, for entrance into approved apprenticeship programs, or participation in
other identified programs and procedures to assist individuals in qualifying and becoming
eligible for such apprenticeship programs, all maintained to increase the available supply of
skilled craft personnel.
3.3.3 The Union shall not knowingly refer an employee currently employed by a
Contractor on Project Work to any other Contractor.
3.3.4 Core Workers: As the initial workers on the Project, a Local Area Contractor,
which is not currently working under a Master Labor Agreement, that is awarded work on the
Project may directly employ up to a maximum of three (3) members of its regular, local,
experienced work force, where the employees so designated as “Core Workers” meet the
following qualifications:
(a) Possess any license required by state or Federal law for the Project work to be
performed;
(b) Have worked at least two thousand (2,000) hours in the applicable trade or
craft;
(c) Have been employed by the Contractor for at least sixty (60) working days of
the one hundred (100) working days immediately preceding the award of the
Project Work to the Contractor;
(d) Are Local Area Residents;
(e) Have the ability to safely perform the basic functions of the applicable craft or
trade.
After directly employing up to three (3) Core Workers, the Local Area Contractor shall thereafter
be subject to the procedures for Union referral of Project workers below. The Local Area
Contractor, upon request by the Community Workforce Coordinator, shall provide the necessary
documentation to support the qualification of an employee as a Core Worker.
If additional workers are needed following the hiring of workers pursuant to the provisions
above, then the Local Area Contractor shall request and the Union shall refer a worker from its
referral list. Local Area Contractors may then directly employ one (1) additional of their
qualified “Core Workers” that is referred pursuant to the referral procedures referenced in this
section 3, after which one (1) worker shall be referred from the Union referral list. This
alternating procedure of referral shall continue until a maximum of seven (7) qualified “Core
Workers” have been directly employed by or referred to the Contractor. All additional workers
shall be requested and referred pursuant to otherwise applicable Union referral list procedures
and the local hire provisions of this Agreement. On layoffs, the Contractor shall reverse the
alternating process. The Contractor shall notify the appropriate Union utilizing the Craft Request
Form (Attachment “C”) and each of the additional workers utilized under the procedures in this
paragraph shall register with the Union’s hiring hall before commencing work on the Project. If
Packet Pg. 422
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 12 Community Workforce Agreement
there is any question regarding a worker’s eligibility under this section 3.3.4, the Contractor shall
provide satisfactory proof of such at a Union’s request. The provisions of this section 3.3.4 shall
only apply to Local Area Contractors and workers who are not working under the terms of a
Master Labor Agreement at the time of their transfer to work covered under this Agreement.
All other Contractors not currently signatory to a Master Labor Agreement that is awarded work
on the Project may directly employ one Core Worker (as defined below) that is referred pursuant
to the referral procedures referenced in this Section 3 after which one (1) worker shall be referred
from the Union referral list. This alternating procedure of referral shall continue until a
maximum of five (5) qualified “Core Workers” have been directly employed by or referred to the
Contractor. All additional workers shall be requested and referred pursuant to otherwise
applicable Union referral list procedures and the local hire provisions of this Agreement. On
layoffs, the Contractor shall reverse the alternating process. The Contractor shall notify the
appropriate Union utilizing the Craft Request Form (Attachment “C”) and each of the
additional workers utilized under the procedures in this paragraph shall register with the Union’s
hiring hall before commencing work on the Project. If there is any question regarding a worker’s
eligibility under this section 3.3.4, the Contractor shall provide satisfactory proof of such at a
Union’s request. “Core Workers” are those employees who meet the following qualifications:
(a) Possesses any license required by state or Federal law for the Project work to be
performed;
(b) Have worked at least two thousand (2,000) hours in the applicable trade or craft;
(c) Have been employed by the Contractor for at least sixty (60) working days of the one
hundred (100) working days immediately preceding the award of the Project Work to
the Contractor; and
(d) Have the ability to safely perform the basic functions of the applicable craft or trade.
The Core Workers shall present to and be dispatched through the applicable Union referral
procedures.
3.3.4.1 Prior to each Contractor performing any work on the Project, each
Contractor shall provide a list of its “Core Workers” to the Community Workforce Coordinator
and the Council. Failure to do so will prohibit the Contractor from using any “Core Workers”.
Upon request by any Party to this Agreement, the Contractor hiring any “Core Worker” shall
provide satisfactory proof (e.g., payroll records, quarterly tax records, driver’s license, voter
registration, postal address and such other documentation) evidencing the “Core Worker’s”
qualification as a core employee to the Community Workforce Coordinator and the Council.
Section 3.4 Non-Discrimination in Referral, Employment, and Contracting: The Unions and
Contractors agree that they will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for
employment in hiring and dispatching on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national
origin, age, membership in a labor organization, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital
status, or disability. The Parties shall jointly endeavor to assure that these commitments are fully
met, and that any provisions of this Agreement which may appear to interfere within a local and
Packet Pg. 423
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 13 Community Workforce Agreement
small business enterprises successfully bidding for work within the scope of this Agreement shall
be carefully reviewed, and adjustments made as may be appropriate and agreed upon among the
Parties, to ensure full compliance with the spirit and letter of the City’s policies and commitment
to its goals for the significant utilization of local and small businesses as direct Contractors or
suppliers for Project Work.
Section 3.5 Employment of Local Area Residents:
3.5.1 The Unions and Contractors agree that, to the maximum extent allowed by law,
and as long as they possess the requisite skills and qualifications, the Unions will exert their best
efforts to recruit sufficient numbers of skilled craft Local Area Residents as defined herein, to
fulfill the requirements of the Contractors and shall refer on a priority basis all available,
qualified Local Area Resident workers. In recognition of the fact that the City and the
communities surrounding Project Work will be impacted by the construction of the Project, the
parties agree to support the hiring of Local Area Resident workers, as well as Veterans. Towards
that end, the Unions agree that they will exert their best efforts to encourage and provide
referrals and utilization of qualified workers in accordance with the following priority:
3.5.1.1 First, Local Area Residents residing in those first-tier zip codes which
cover the City of San Luis Obispo (Tier 1), as reflected on the attached list of zip codes as
reflected on Attachment “B”;
3.5.1.2 If the Unions cannot provide the Contractors with a sufficient number of
qualified workers from paragraph 3.5.1.1, above, the Unions will exert their best efforts to then
recruit qualified workers residing within the County of San Luis Obispo (Tier 2), and shall refer
all such available workers, giving first priority to Veterans residing in county.
3.5.1.3 If the Unions still have not provided the Contractors with a sufficient
number of qualified workers from paragraphs 3.5.1.1 and 3.5.1.2, above, the Unions will then
exert their best efforts to recruit qualified workers residing in the zip codes specified within
Santa Barbara and Monterey counties (Tier 3), and shall refer all such available workers, giving
first priority to Veterans residing in those zip codes.
3.5.1.4 If the Unions still have not provided the Contractors with a sufficient
number of qualified workers from paragraphs 3.6.1.1, 3.6.1.2, and 3.6.1.3 above, the Unions will
then exert their best efforts to recruit qualified workers residing in the zip codes specified within
Ventura County (Tier 4), and shall refer all such available workers, giving first priority to
Veterans residing in those zip codes.
3.5.2 A goal of at least 30% of all of the construction labor hours worked on the
Project shall be from Local Area Residents, with first priority referrals on all Contractor requests
given to available Local Area Residents, in ascending order of tier, regardless of attainment of
goals. To facilitate the dispatch of Local Area Residents, all Contractors will be required to
utilize the Craft Employee Request Form whenever they are requesting the referral of any
employee from a Union referral list for any Project Work, a sample of which is attached as
Attachment “C”.
Packet Pg. 424
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 14 Community Workforce Agreement
3.5.3 The Community Workforce Coordinator shall work with the Unions and
Contractors in the administration of this Local Area Resident preference; and the Contractors and
Unions shall cooperate by maintaining adequate records to demonstrate to the Community
Workforce Coordinator that such preferences have been pursued.
Section 3.6 Helmets to Hardhats: The Contractors and the Unions recognize a desire to
facilitate the entry into the building and construction trades of veterans who are interested in
careers in the building and construction industry. The Contractors and Unions agree to utilize the
services of the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Veterans Employment
(hereinafter “Center”) and the Center’s “Helmets to Hardhats” program to serve as a resource for
preliminary orientation, assessment of construction aptitude, referral to apprenticeship programs
or hiring halls, counseling and mentoring, support network, employment opportunities and other
needs as identified by the Parties. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “Eligible Veteran”
shall have the same meaning as the term “veteran” as defined under Title 5, Section 2108(1) of the
United States Code as the same may be amended or re-codified from time to time. It shall be the
responsibility of each qualified Local Area Resident to provide the Unions with proof of his/her
status as an Eligible Veteran.
The Unions and Contractors agree to coordinate with the Center to create and maintain an
integrated database of veterans interested in working on this Project and of apprenticeship and
employment opportunities for this Project. To the extent permitted by law, the Unions will give
credit to such veterans for bona fide, provable past experience.
Section 3.7 Time for Referral: If any Union’s registration and referral system does not fulfill
the requirements for specific classifications requested by any Contractor within forty-eight (48)
hours (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays), that Contractor may use employment
sources other than the Union registration and referral services and may employ applicants
meeting such standards from any other available source. The Contractors shall inform the Union
of any applicants hired from other sources within forty-eight (48) hours of such applicant being
hired, and such applicants shall register with the appropriate hiring hall, if any, prior to
commencing work on the Project.
Section 3.8 Lack of Referral Procedure: If a signatory Union does not have a job referral
system as set forth in Section 3.3 above, the Contractors shall give the Union equal opportunity
to refer applicants. The Contractors shall notify the Union of employees so hired, as set forth in
Section 3.5.
Section 3.9 Union Membership: No employee covered by this Agreement shall be required
to join any Union as a condition of being employed, or remaining employed, for the completion
of Project Work; provided, however, that any employee who is a member of the referring Union
at the time of referral shall maintain that membership in good standing while employed under
this Agreement. All employees shall, however, he required to comply with the union security
provisions of the applicable MLA, for the period during which they are performing on-site
Project Work to the extent, as permitted by law, of rendering payment of an amount equal to the
applicable monthly window and working dues uniformly required as, at a minimum,
representation fees to the Union.
Packet Pg. 425
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 15 Community Workforce Agreement
Section 3.10 Individual Seniority: Except as provided in Section 4.3, individual seniority shall
not be recognized or applied to employees working on the Project; provided, however, that group
and/or classification seniority in a Union’s MLA, as of the effective date of this Agreement shall
he recognized for purposes of layoffs.
Section 3.11 Foremen: The selection and number of craft foreman and/or general foreman
shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. All foremen shall take orders exclusively from the
designated Contractor representatives. Craft foreman shall be designated as working foreman at
the request of the Contractors.
ARTICLE 4
UNION ACCESS AND STEWARDS
Section 4.1 Access to Project Sites: Authorized representatives of the Union shall have
access to Project Work, provided that they do not interfere with the work of employees and
further provided that such representatives fully comply with posted visitor, security, and safety
rules.
Section 4.2 Stewards:
4.2.1 Each signatory Union shall have the right to dispatch a working journeyperson as
a steward for each shift and shall notify the Contractor in writing of the identity of the designated
steward or stewards prior to the assumption of such person’s duties as steward. Such designated
steward or stewards shall not exercise any supervisory functions. There will be no non-working
stewards. Stewards will receive the regular rate of pay for their respective crafts.
4.2.2 In addition to his/her work as an employee, the steward should have the right to
receive, but not to solicit, complaints or grievances and to discuss and assist in the adjustment of
the same with the employee’s appropriate supervisor. Each steward should be concerned only
with the employees of the steward’s Contractor and, if applicable, subcontractor(s), and not with
the employees of any other Contractor. A Contractor will not discriminate against the steward on
the basis of proper performance of his/her Union duties.
4.2.3 When a Contractor has multiple, non-contiguous work locations at one site, the
Contractor may request, and the Union shall appoint such additional working stewards as the
Contractor requests to provide independent coverage of one or more such locations. In such
cases, a steward may not service more than one work location without the approval of the
Contractor.
4.2.4 The stewards shall not have the right to determine when overtime shall be worked
or who shall work overtime.
Section 4.3 Steward Layoff/Discharge: The relevant Contractor agrees to notify the
appropriate Union twenty-four (24) hours before the layoff of a steward, except in the case of
disciplinary discharge for just cause. If the steward is protected against such layoff by the
provisions of the applicable MLA, such provisions shall be recognized when the steward
Packet Pg. 426
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 16 Community Workforce Agreement
possesses the necessary qualifications to perform the remaining work. In any case in which the
steward is discharged or disciplined for just cause, the appropriate Union will be notified
immediately by the Contractor, and such discharge or discipline shall not become final (subject
to any later filed grievance) until twenty-four (24) hours after such notice has been given.
Section 4.4 Employees on Non-Project Work: On work where the personnel of the City may
be working in close proximity to the construction activities covered by this Agreement, the
Union agrees that the Union representatives, stewards, and individual workers will not interfere
with the City personnel, or with personnel employed by the any other employer not a Party to
this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5
WAGES AND BENEFITS
Section 5.1 Wages: All employees covered by this Agreement shall be classified in
accordance with work performed and paid by the Contractors the hourly wage rates for those
classifications in compliance with the applicable prevailing wage rate determination established
pursuant to applicable law. If a prevailing rate increases under law, the Contractor shall pay that
rate as of its effective date under the law. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement, this Agreement does not relieve Contractors directly signatory to one or more of the
Master Labor Agreements from paying all wages set forth in such Agreements.
Section 5.2 Benefits:
5.2.1 Contractors shall pay contributions to the established employee benefit funds in
the amounts designated in the appropriate MLA, and make all employee authorized deductions in
the amounts designated in the appropriate MLA; provided, however, that such contributions shall
not exceed the contribution amounts set forth in the applicable prevailing wage determination.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Contractors directly signatory to one or
more of the Master Labor Agreements are required to make all contributions set forth in those
Master Labor Agreements without reference to the forgoing. Bona fide benefit plans with joint
trustees or authorized employee deduction programs established or negotiated under the
applicable MLA, or by the Parties to this Agreement during the life of this Agreement may be
added.
5.2.2 The Contractor adopts and agrees to be bound by the written terms of the
applicable, legally established, trust agreement(s) specifying the detailed basis on which
payments are to be made into, and benefits paid out of, such trust funds for its employees. The
Contractor authorizes the Parties to such trust funds to appoint trustees and successor trustees to
administer the trust funds and hereby ratifies and accepts the trustees so appointed as if made by
the Contractor.
5.2.3 Each Contractor and subcontractor is required to certify to the Community
Workforce Coordinator that it has paid all benefit contributions due and owing to the appropriate
Trust(s) prior to the receipt of its final payment and/or retention. Further, upon timely
notification by a Union to the Community Workforce Coordinator, the Community Workforce
Packet Pg. 427
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 17 Community Workforce Agreement
Coordinator shall work with any prime Contractor or subcontractor who is delinquent in
payments to assure that proper benefit contributions are made, to the extent of requesting the
City or the prime Contractor to withhold payments otherwise due such Contractor, until such
contributions have been made or otherwise guaranteed.
Section 5.3 Wage Premiums: Wage premiums, including but not limited to pay based on
height of work, hazard pay, scaffold pay, and special skills shall not be applicable to work under
this Agreement, except to the extent provided for in any applicable prevailing wage
determination.
Section 5.4 Compliance with Prevailing Wage Laws: The Parties agree that the Community
Workforce Coordinator shall monitor the compliance by all Contractors and subcontractors with
all applicable federal and state prevailing wage laws and regulations, and that such monitoring
shall include Contractors engaged in what would otherwise be Project Work but for the
exceptions to Agreement coverage in Section 2.2. All complaints regarding possible prevailing
wage violations shall be referred to the Community Workforce Coordinator for processing,
investigation, and resolution, and if not resolved within thirty (30) calendar days, may be
referred by any party to the state labor commissioner.
ARTICLE 6
WORK STOPPAGES AND LOCK-OUTS
Section 6.1 No Work Stoppages or Disruptive Activity: The Council and the Unions agree
that neither they, and each of them, nor their respective officers or agents or representatives, shall
incite or encourage, condone or participate in any strike, walk-out, slow-down, picketing,
observing picket lines or other activity of any nature or kind whatsoever, for any cause or dispute
whatsoever with respect to or in any way related to Project Work, or which interferes with or
otherwise disrupts Project Work, or with respect to or related to the City or Contractors or
subcontractors, including, but not limited to economic strikes, unfair labor practice strikes, safety
strikes, sympathy strikes and jurisdictional strikes whether or not the underlying dispute is
subject to arbitration. Any such actions by the Council, or Unions, or their members, agents,
representatives or the employees they represent shall constitute a violation of this Agreement.
The Council and the Union shall take all steps necessary to obtain compliance with this Article
and neither should be held liable for conduct for which it is not responsible.
Section 6.2 Employee Violations: The Contractor may discharge any employee violating
Section 6.1 above and any such employee will not be eligible for rehire under this Agreement.
Section 6.3 Standing to Enforce: The City, the Community Workforce Coordinator, or any
Contractor affected by an alleged violation of Section 6.1 shall have standing and the right to
enforce the obligations established therein.
Section 6.4 Expiration of MLAs: If the MLA, or any local, regional, and other applicable
collective bargaining agreements expire during the term of the Project, the Union(s) agree that
there shall be no work disruption of any kind as described in Section 6.1 above as a result of the
expiration of any such agreement(s) having application on this Project and/or failure of the
Packet Pg. 428
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 18 Community Workforce Agreement
involved Parties to that agreement to reach a new contract. Terms and conditions of employment
established and set at the time of bid shall remain established and set. Otherwise to the extent
that such agreement does expire and the Parties to that agreement have failed to reach
concurrence on a new contract, work will continue on the Project on one of the following two (2)
options, both of which will be offered by the Unions involved to the Contractors affected:
6.4.1 Each of the Unions with a contract expiring must offer to continue working on the
Project under interim agreements that retain all the terms of the expiring contract, except that the
Unions involved in such expiring contract may each propose wage rates and employer
contribution rates to employee benefit funds under the prior contract different from what those
wage rates and employer contributions rates were under the expiring contracts. The terms of the
Union’s interim agreement offered to Contractors will be no less favorable than the terms offered
by the Union to any other employer or group of employers covering the same type of
construction work in San Luis Obispo County.
6.4.2 Each of the Unions with a contract expiring must offer to continue working on the
Project under all the terms of the expiring contract, including the wage rates and employer
contribution rates to the employee benefit funds, if the Contractor affected by that expiring
contract agrees to the following retroactive provisions: if a new MLA, local, regional or other
applicable labor agreement for the industry having application at the Project is ratified and
signed during the term of this Agreement and if such new labor agreement provides for
retroactive wage increases, then each affected Contractor shall pay to its employees who
performed work covered by this Agreement at the Project during the hiatus between the effective
dates of such expired and new labor agreements, an amount equal to any such retroactive wage
increase established by such new labor agreement, retroactive to whatever date is provided by
the new labor agreement for such increase to go into effect, for each employee’s hours worked
on the Project during the retroactive period. All Parties agree that such affected Contractors shall
be solely responsible for any retroactive payment to its employees.
6.4.3 Some Contractors may elect to continue to work on the Project under the terms of
the interim agreement option offered under paragraph 6.4.1, above and other Contractors may
elect to continue to work on the Project under the retroactivity option offered under paragraph
6.4.2, above. To decide between the two options, Contractors will be given one week after the
particular labor agreement has expired or one week after the Union has personally delivered to
the Contractors in writing its specific offer of terms of the interim agreement pursuant to
paragraph (a) above, whichever is the later date. If the Contractor fails to timely select one of the
two options, the Contractor shall be deemed to have selected the retroactivity option offered
under paragraph 6.4.2, above.
Section 6.5 No Lockouts: Contractors shall not cause, incite, encourage, condone or
participate in any lock-out of employees with respect to Project Work during the term of this
Agreement. The term “lock-out” refers only to a Contractor’s exclusion of employees in order to
secure collective bargaining advantage, and does not refer to the discharge, termination or layoff
of employees by the Contractor for any reason in the exercise of rights pursuant to any provision
of this Agreement, or any other agreement, nor does “lock-out” include the City’s decision to
stop, suspend or discontinue any Project Work or any portion thereof for any reason.
Packet Pg. 429
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 19 Community Workforce Agreement
Section 6.6 Best Efforts to End Violations:
6.6.1 If a Contractor contends that there is any violation of this Article or Section 7.3, it
shall notify, in writing, the Executive Secretary of the Council, the Senior Executive of the
involved Union(s) and the Community Workforce Coordinator. The Executive Secretary and the
leadership of the involved Union(s) will immediately instruct, order and use their best efforts to
cause the cessation of any violation of the relevant Article.
6.6.2 If the Union contends that any Contractor has violated this Article, it will notify
the Contractor and the Community Workforce Coordinator, setting forth the facts which the
Union contends violate the Agreement, at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to invoking the
procedures of Section 6.8. The Community Workforce Coordinator shall promptly order the
involved Contractor(s) to cease any violation of the Article.
Section 6.7 Withholding of services for failure to pay wages and fringe benefits:
Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, it shall not be a violation of
this Agreement for any Union to withhold the services of its members (but not the right to
picket) from a particular Contractor who fails to timely pay its weekly payroll; or fails to make
timely payments to the Union’s Joint Labor/Management Trust Funds in accordance with the
provisions of the applicable Master Labor Agreements. Prior to withholding its members’
services for the Contractor’s failure to make timely payments to the Union’s Joint
Labor/Management Trust Funds, the Union shall give at least ten (10) days (unless a lesser
period of time is provided in the Union’s MLA, but in no event less than seventy-two (72) hours)
written notice of such failure to pay by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and
by facsimile transmission to the involved Contractor and the City. Union will meet within the
ten (10) day period to attempt to resolve the dispute.
6.7.1 Upon the payment of the delinquent Contractor of all monies due and then owing
for wages and/or fringe benefit contributions, the Union shall direct its members to return to
work and the Contractor shall return all such members back to work.
Section 6.8 Expedited Enforcement Procedure: Any party, including the City, which is an
intended beneficiary of this Article, or the Community Workforce Coordinator, may institute the
following procedures, in lieu of or in addition to any other action at law or equity, when a breach
of Section 6.1, 6.5 or Section 7.3 is alleged.
6.8.1 The party invoking this procedure shall notify Lou Zigman, or, if Mr. Zigman is
unavailable, Sara Adler, who have been selected by the negotiating Parties, and whom the Parties
agree shall be the permanent arbitrator and alternate arbitrator under this procedure. If the
permanent arbitrator is unavailable at any time, the party invoking this procedure shall notify
Sara Adler. Notice to the arbitrator shall be by the most expeditious means available, with
notices to the Parties alleged to be in violation, and to the Council if it is a Union alleged to be in
violation. For purposes of this Article, written notice may be given by telegram, facsimile, hand-
delivery or overnight mail and will be deemed effective upon receipt.
Packet Pg. 430
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 20 Community Workforce Agreement
6.8.2 Upon receipt of said notice, the arbitrator named above, or his/her alternate shall
sit and hold a hearing within twenty-four (24) hours if it is contended that the violation still
exists, but not sooner than twenty-four (24) hours after notice has been dispatched to the Council
of the involved Union(s) and/or Contractor.
6.8.3 The arbitrator shall notify the Parties of the place and time chosen for this
hearing. Said hearing shall be completed in one session, which, with appropriate recesses at the
arbitrator's discretion, shall not exceed twenty-four (24) hours unless otherwise agreed upon by
all Parties. A failure of any Party or Parties to attend said hearings shall not delay the hearing of
evidence or the issuance of any award by the arbitrator.
6.8.4 The sole issue at the hearing shall be whether or not a violation of Sections 6.1,
6.5 or Section 7.3 has in fact occurred. The arbitrator shall have no authority to consider any
matter in justification, explanation or mitigation of such violation or to award damages. The
Award shall be issued in writing within three (3) hours after the close of the hearing and may be
issued without an opinion. If any party desires a written opinion, one shall be issued within
fifteen (15) days, but its issuance shall not delay compliance with, or enforcement of, the Award.
The arbitrator may order cessation of the violation of the Article and other appropriate relief, and
such Award, upon issuance, shall be served on all Parties by hand or registered mail.
6.8.5 Such Award shall be final and binding on all Parties and may be enforced by any
court of competent jurisdiction upon the filing of this Agreement and all other relevant
documents referred to herein above in the following manner. Written notice of the filing of such
enforcement proceedings shall be given to the other party. In any judicial proceeding to obtain a
temporary order enforcing the arbitrator's Award as issued under this Article, all Parties waive
the right to a hearing and agree that such proceedings may be ex parte. Such agreement does not
waive any Party's right to participate in a hearing for a final order of enforcement. The court's
order or orders enforcing the arbitrator's award shall be served on all Parties by hand or by
delivery to their address as shown on this Agreement (for a Union), as shown in their business
contract for work under this Agreement (for a Contractor) and to the representing Union (for an
employee), by certified mail by the Party or Parties first alleging the violation.
6.8.6 Any rights created by statute or law governing arbitration proceedings
inconsistent with the above procedure or which interfere with compliance hereto are hereby
waived by the Parties to whom they accrue.
6.8.7 The fees and expenses of the arbitrator shall be equally divided between the party
or Parties initiating this procedure and the respondent Party or Parties.
6.8.8 Liquidated Damages. If the arbitrator determines that a work stoppage, in
violation of Section 6.1 has occurred, the respondent Unions(s) shall, within eight (8) hours of
receipt of the award, direct all the employees they represent on the project to immediately return
to work. If the craft(s) involved does not return to work by the beginning of the next regularly
scheduled shift following such eight (8) hour period after receipt of the arbitrator’s award, and the
respondent Union(s) have not complied with their obligation to immediately instruct, order, and
use their best efforts to cause a cessation of the violation and return of the employees they represent
Packet Pg. 431
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 21 Community Workforce Agreement
to work, then the respondent Union(s) shall each pay a sum as liquidated damages to the City, and
each shall pay an additional sum per shift for each shift thereafter on which the craft(s) has not
returned to work. Similarly, if the arbitrator determines that a lock-out, in violation of Section 6.5
has occurred, the respondent Contractor(s) shall, within eight (8) hours of receipt of the award,
return all the affected employees to work on the Project, or otherwise correct the violation as found
by the arbitrator. If the respondent Contractor(s) do not take such action by the beginning of the
next regularly scheduled shift following the eight (8) hour period, each respondent Contractor shall
pay a sum as liquidated damages in equal amounts to the City and to the affected Union(s) (with
union amounts to be apportioned among the affected employees and the benefit funds to which
contributions are made on their behalf, as appropriate and designated by the Arbitrator) and each
shall pay an additional sum per shift for each shift thereafter in which compliance by the
respondent Contractor(s) has not been completed. The Arbitrator shall retain jurisdiction to
determine compliance with this Section and to establish the appropriate sum of liquidated
damages, which shall not be less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) per shift, nor more than twenty
thousand dollars ($20,000) per shift.
ARTICLE 7
WORK ASSIGNMENTS AND JURISDICTIONAL DISPUTES
Section 7.1 Assignment of Work: The assignment of Project Work will be solely the
responsibility of the Employer performing the work involved; and such work assignments will be
in accordance with the Plan for the Settlement of Jurisdictional Disputes in the Construction
Industry (the “Plan”) or any successor Plan.
Section 7.2 The Plan: All jurisdictional disputes on this Project between or among the
building and construction trades Unions and the Employers parties to this Agreement, shall be
settled and adjusted according to the present Plan established by the Building and Construction
Trades Department or any other plan or method of procedure that may be adopted in the future
by the Building and Construction Trades Department. Decisions rendered shall be final, binding
and conclusive on the Employers and Unions parties to this Agreement.
7.2.1 If a dispute arising under this Article involves the Southwest Regional Council of
Carpenters or any of its subordinate bodies, an Arbitrator shall be chosen by the procedures
specified in Article V, Section 5, of the Plan from a list composed of John Kagel, Thomas
Angelo, Robert Hirsch, and Thomas Pagan, and the Arbitrator’s hearing on the dispute shall be
held at the offices of the applicable Building and Construction Trades Council within fourteen
(14) days of the selection of the Arbitrator. All other procedures shall be as specified in the Plan.
Section 7.3 No Work Disruption Over Jurisdiction: All jurisdictional disputes shall be
resolved without the occurrence of any strike, work stoppage, or slow-down of any nature, and
the Employer’s assignment shall be adhered to until the dispute is resolved. Individuals violating
this section shall be subject to immediate discharge.
Section 7.4 Pre-Job Conferences: As provided in Article 14, each Employer will conduct a
pre-job conference with the Council prior to commencing work. The Primary Employer and the
Packet Pg. 432
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 22 Community Workforce Agreement
Owner will be advised in advance of all such conferences and may participate if they wish. Pre-
job conferences for different Employers may be held together.
Section 7.5 Resolution of Jurisdictional Disputes: If any actual or threatened strike, sympathy
strike, work stoppage, slow down, picketing, hand-billing or otherwise advising the public that a
labor dispute exists, or interference with the progress of Project Work by reason of a
jurisdictional dispute or disputes occurs, the Parties shall exhaust the expedited procedures set
forth in the Plan, if such procedures are in the plan then currently in effect, or otherwise as in
Article 6 above.
ARTICLE 8
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS
Section 8.1 Contractor and City Rights: The City and the Contractor retains the full and
exclusive authority for the management of its operations, as set forth in this Article, unless
expressly limited or required by the other Articles of this Agreement or an MLA. In addition to
the following and other rights of the Contractors enumerated in this Agreement, the Contractors
expressly reserve their management rights and all the rights conferred upon them by law. The
Contractor’s rights include, but are not limited to, the right to:
8.1.1 Plan, direct and control operations of all work;
8.1.2 Hire, promote, transfer and layoff their own employees, respectively, as deemed
appropriate to satisfy work and/or skill requirements;
8.1.3 Promulgate and require all employees to observe reasonable job rules and security
and safety regulations;
8.1.4 Discharge, suspend or discipline their own employees for just cause;
8.1.5 Utilize, in accordance with City approval, any work methods, procedures or
techniques, and select, use and install any types or kinds of materials, apparatus or equipment,
regardless of source of manufacture or construction; assign and schedule work at their discretion;
and
8.1.6 Assign overtime, determine when it will be worked, and the number and identity
of employees engaged in such work, subject to such provisions in the applicable MLA(s)
requiring such assignments be equalized or otherwise made in a nondiscriminatory manner.
Section 8.2 Specific City Rights: In addition to the following and other rights of the City
enumerated in this Agreement, the City expressly reserves its management rights and all the
rights conferred on it by law. The City’s rights (and those of the Community Workforce
Coordinator on its behalf) include but are not limited to the right to:
8.2.1 Inspect any construction site or facility to ensure that the Contractor follows the
applicable safety and other work requirements;
Packet Pg. 433
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 23 Community Workforce Agreement
8.2.2 Require Contractors to establish a different work week or shift schedule for
particular employees as required to meet the operational needs of the Project Work at particular
locations;
8.2.3 At its sole option, terminate, delay and/or suspend any and all portions of the
Project Work at any time; prohibit some or all work on certain days or during certain hours of the
day to accommodate the ongoing operations of the City’s treatment facilities and/or to mitigate
the effect of ongoing Project Work on businesses and residents in the neighborhood of the
Project site; and/or require such other operational or schedule changes it deems necessary, in its
sole judgment, to effectively maintain its primary mission and remain a good neighbor to those
in the area of its facilities. (In order to permit the Contractors and Unions to make appropriate
scheduling plans, the City will provide the Community Workforce Coordinator, and the affected
Contractor(s) and Union(s) with reasonable notice of any changes it requires pursuant to this
section; provided, however, that if notice is not provided in time to advise employees not to
report for work, show-up pay shall be due pursuant to the provision of Article 6, Section 6.6);
8.2.4 Approve any work methods, procedures and techniques used by Contractors
whether or not these methods, procedures or techniques are part of industry practices or customs,
provided that nothing herein shall require such approval or extend any liability related to work
performed by Contractors to the City; and
8.2.5 Investigate and process complaints, through its Community Workforce
Coordinator, in the matter set forth in Articles 6 and 9.
Section 8.3 Use of Materials: There should be no limitations or restriction by Union upon a
Contractor’s choice of materials or design, nor, regardless of source or location, upon the full use
and utilization, of equipment, machinery, packaging, precast, prefabricated, prefinished, or
preassembled materials, tools or other labor saving devices, subject to the application of the State
Public Contract and Labor Codes as required by law in reference to offsite construction.
Generally, the onsite installation or application of such items shall be performed by the craft
having jurisdiction over such work. The City and its Community Workforce Coordinator shall
advise all Contractors of, and enforce as appropriate, the off-site application of the prevailing
wage law as it affects Project Work.
Section 8.4 Special Equipment, Warranties and Guaranties:
8.4.1 The Parties recognize that the Contractor will initiate from time to time the use of
new technology, equipment, machinery, tools, and other labor-savings devices and methods of
performing Project Work. The Union agrees that they will not restrict the implementation of such
devices or work methods. The Unions will accept and will not refuse to handle, install or work
with any standardized and/or catalogue: parts, assemblies, accessories, prefabricated items,
preassembled items, partially assembled items, or materials whatever their source of manufacture
or construction.
8.4.2 If any disagreement between the Contractor and the Unions concerning the
methods of implementation or installation of any equipment, or device or item, or method of
Packet Pg. 434
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 24 Community Workforce Agreement
work, arises, or whether a particular part or pre-assembled item is a standardized or catalog part
or item, the work will precede as directed by the Contractor and the Parties shall immediately
consult over the matter. If the disagreement is not resolved, the affected Union(s) shall have the
right to proceed through the procedures set forth in Article 9.
ARTICLE 9
SETTLEMENT OF GRIEVANCES AND DISPUTES
Section 9.1 Cooperation and Harmony on Site:
9.1.1 This Agreement is intended to establish and foster continued close cooperation
between management and labor. The Council shall assign a representative to this Project for the
purpose of assisting the Unions, and working with the Community Workforce Coordinator,
together with the Contractors, to complete the construction of the Project economically,
efficiency, continuously and without any interruption, delays or work stoppages.
9.1.2 The Community Workforce Coordinator, the Contractors, Unions, and employees
collectively and individually, realize the importance to all Parties of maintaining continuous and
uninterrupted performance Project Work, and agree to resolve disputes in accordance with the
grievance provisions set forth in this Article or, as appropriate, those of Article 6 or 7.
9.1.3 The Community Workforce Coordinator shall oversee the processing of
grievances under this Article and Article 6, including the scheduling and arrangements of
facilities for meetings, selection of the arbitrator from the agreed-upon panel to hear the case,
and any other administrative matters necessary to facilitate the timely resolution of any dispute;
provided, however, it is the responsibility of the principal parties to any pending grievance to
insure the time limits and deadlines are met.
Section 9.2 Processing Grievances: Any questions arising out of and during the term of this
Agreement involving its interpretation and application, which includes applicable provisions of
the MLAs, but not jurisdictional disputes or alleged violations of Section 6.1 and 6.5 and similar
provisions, shall be considered a grievance and subject to resolution under the following
procedures.
Step 1. Employee Grievances: When any employee subject to the provisions of
this Agreement feels aggrieved by an alleged violation of this Agreement, the employee shall,
through his Union business representative or, job steward, within ten (10) working days after the
occurrence of the violation, give notice to the work site representative of the involved Contractor
stating the provision(s) alleged to have been violated. A business representative of the Union or
the job steward and the work site representative of the involved Contractor shall meet and
endeavor to adjust the matter within ten (10) working days after timely notice has been given. If
they fail to resolve the matter within the prescribed period, the grieving party may, within ten
(10) working days thereafter, pursue Step 2 of this grievance procedure provided the grievance is
reduced to writing, setting forth the relevant information, including a short description thereof,
the date on which the alleged violation occurred, and the provision(s) of the Agreement alleged
Packet Pg. 435
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 25 Community Workforce Agreement
to have been violated. Grievances and disputes settled at Step 1 shall be non-precedential except
as to the parties directly involved.
Union or Contractor Grievances: Should the Union(s) or any Contractor have
a dispute with the other Party(ies) and, if after conferring within ten (10) working days after the
disputing Party knew or should have known of the facts or occurrence giving rise to the dispute,
a settlement is not reached within five (5) working days, the dispute shall be reduced to writing
and processed to Step 2 in the same manner as outlined in 1(a) above for the adjustment of an
employee complaint.
Step 2. The business manager of the involved Union or his designee, together with
the site representative of the involved Contractor, and the labor relations representative of the
Community Workforce Coordinator, shall meet within seven (7) working days of the referral of
the dispute to this second step to arrive at a satisfactory settlement thereof. If the Parties fail to
reach an agreement, the dispute may be appealed in writing in accordance with the provisions of
Step 3 within seven (7) calendar days after the initial meeting at Step 2.
Step 3. (a) If the grievance shall have been submitted but not resolved under Step
2, either the Union or Contractor Party may request in writing to the Community Workforce
Coordinator (with copy (ies) to the other Party (ies)) within seven (7) calendar days after the
initial Step 2 meeting, that the grievance be submitted to an arbitrator selected from the agreed
upon list of experienced construction industry arbitrators below, on a rotational basis in the order
listed. Those arbitrators are: (1) Louis Zigman; (2) Sara Adler; (3) Fredric Horowitz; (4) Edna
Francis; (5) William Rule; (6) Walt Daugherty; and (7) Michael Rappaport. The decision of the
arbitrator shall be final and binding on all Parties and the fee and expenses of such arbitrations
shall be borne equally by the involved Contractor(s) and the involved Union(s).
(b) Failure of the grieving Party to adhere to the time limits
established herein shall render the grievance null and void. The time limits established herein
may be extended only by written consent of the Parties involved at the particular step where the
extension is agreed upon. The arbitrator shall have the authority to make decisions only on
issues presented and shall not have the authority to change, amend, add to or detract from any of
the provisions of this Agreement.
(c) The fees and expenses incurred by the arbitrator, as well as those
jointly utilized by the Parties (e.g., conference room, court reporter, etc.) in arbitration, shall be
divided equally by the Parties to the arbitration, including Union(s) and Contractor(s) involved.
Section 9.3 Limit on Use of Procedures: Procedures contained in this Article shall not be
applicable to any alleged violation of Articles 6 or 7, with a single exception that any employee
discharged for violation of Section 6.2, or Section 7.3, may resort to the procedures of this
Article to determine only if he/she was, in fact, engaged in that violation.
Section 9.4 Notice: The Community Workforce Coordinator (and the City, in the case of any
grievance regarding the Scope of this Agreement) shall be notified by the involved Contractor of
Packet Pg. 436
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 26 Community Workforce Agreement
all actions at Steps 2 and 3, and further, the Community Workforce Coordinator shall, upon its
own request, be permitted to participate fully as a party in all proceedings at such steps.
ARTICLE 10
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Section 10.1 Compliance with All Laws: The Council and all Unions, Contractors,
subcontractors and their employed shall comply with all applicable federal and state laws,
ordinances and regulations including, but not limited to, those relating to safety and health,
employment and applications for employment. All employees shall comply with the safety
regulations established by the City and/or the Contractor. Workers must promptly report any
injuries or accidents as required by applicable policy and/or law.
Section 10.2 Monitoring Compliance: The Parties agree that the City shall require, and that the
Community Workforce Coordinator and Council shall monitor, compliance by all Contractors
and subcontractors with all federal and state law regulations that, from time to time may apply to
Project Work. It shall be the responsibility of both the Council and the Community Workforce
Coordinator (on behalf of the City) to investigate or monitor compliance with these various laws
and regulations and any suspected non-compliance observes by the Council shall be immediately
reported to the Community Workforce Coordinator. The Council may recommend to the
Community Workforce Coordinator and/or the City procedures to encourage and enforce
compliance with these laws and regulations.
Section 10.3 Prevailing Wage Compliance: The Council or Union shall refer all complaints
regarding any potential prevailing wage violation to the Community Workforce Coordinator,
who on its own, or with the assistance of the City’s labor compliance program, shall process,
investigate and resolve such complaints, consistent with Article 5, Section 5.4. The Council or
Union, as appropriate, shall be advised in a timely manner with regard to the facts and resolution,
if any, of any complaint. It is understood that this Section does not restrict any individual rights
as established under the State Labor Code, including the rights of an individual to file a
complaint with the State Labor Commissioner or to file a grievance for such violation under the
grievance procedure set forth in this Agreement.
Section 10.4 Violations of Law: Based upon a finding of violation by the City of a federal and
state law, and upon notice to the Contractor that it or its subcontractors are in such violation, the
City, in the absence of the Contractor or subcontractor remedying such violation, shall take such
action as it is permitted by law or contract to encourage that Contractor to come into compliance,
including, but not limited to, assessing fines and penalties, and/or removing the offending
Contractor from Project Work. Additionally, in accordance with the Agreement between the City
and the Contractor, the City may cause the Contractor to remove from Project Work any
subcontractor who is in violation of state or federal law.
Packet Pg. 437
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 27 Community Workforce Agreement
ARTICLE 11
SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF PERSON AND PROPERTY
Section 11.1 Safety:
11.1.1 It shall be the responsibility of each Contractor to ensure safe working conditions
and employee compliance with any safety rules contained herein or established by the City
and/or the Contractor. It is understood that employees have an individual obligation to use
diligent care to perform their work in a safe manner and to protect themselves and the property
of the Contractor and the City.
11.1.2 Employees shall be bound by the safety, security, and visitor rules established by
the Contractor and/or the City. These rules will be published and posted. An employee’s failure
to satisfy his/her obligations under this section will subject him/her to discipline, up to and
including discharge.
11.1.3 The Parties to this Agreement adopt the Tri Counties Building and Construction
Trades Council Approved Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy, a copy of which is attached hereto
as Attachment “D,” and which shall be the policy and procedure utilized under this Agreement.
Section 11.2 Suspension of Work for Safety: A Contractor may suspend all or a portion of the
job to protect the life and safety of employees. In such cases, employees will be compensated
only for the actual time worked; provided, however, that where the Contractor requests
employees to remain at the site and be available for work, the employees will be compensated
for stand-by time at their basic hourly rate of pay.
Section 11.3 Water and Sanitary Facilities: The Contractor shall provide adequate supplies of
drinking water and sanitary facilities for all employees as required by state law or regulation.
ARTICLE 12
TRAVEL AND SUBSISTENCE
Travel expenses, travel time, subsistence allowances, zone rates and parking reimbursements
shall be paid in accordance with the applicable MLA unless superseded by the applicable
prevailing wage determination.
ARTICLE 13
APPRENTICES
Section 13.1 Importance of Training: The Parties recognize the need to maintain continuing
support of the programs designed to develop adequate numbers of competent workers in the
construction industry, the obligation to capitalize on the availability of the local work force in the
area served by the City, and the opportunities to provide continuing work under the construction
program. To these ends, the Parties will facilitate, encourage, and assist local residents to
commence and progress in an Approved Apprenticeship Programs and/or training programs in
the construction industry leading to participation in such apprenticeship programs. The City, the
Packet Pg. 438
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 28 Community Workforce Agreement
Community Workforce Coordinator, and the Council, will work cooperatively to identify, or
establish and maintain, effective programs and procedures for persons interested in entering the
construction industry and which will help prepare them for the formal joint labor/management
apprenticeship programs maintained by the signatory Unions.
Section 13.2 Use of Apprentices:
13.2.1 Apprentices used on Projects under this Agreement shall be registered in
Approved Apprenticeship Programs approved by the State of California and the Federal
Department of Labor, to the extent required by any Project funding source. Apprentices may
comprise up to thirty percent (30%) of each craft’s work force at any time, unless the standards
of the applicable joint apprenticeship committee confirmed by the Division of Apprenticeship
Standards (“DAS”), establish a lower or higher maximum percentage, and where such is the
case, the applicable Union should use its best efforts with it’s apprenticeship committee and, if
necessary, the DAS to permit up to thirty percent (30%) apprentices on the Project.
13.2.2 The Unions agree to cooperate with the Contractor in furnishing apprentices as
requested up to the maximum percentage. The apprentice ratio for each craft shall be in
compliance, at a minimum, with the applicable provisions of the Labor Code relating to
utilization of apprentices. The City shall encourage such utilization, and, both as to apprentices
and the overall supply of experienced workers, the Community Workforce Coordinator will
work with the Council to assure appropriate and maximum utilization of apprentices and the
continuing availability of both apprentices and journey persons.
13.2.3 The Parties agree that apprentices will not be dispatched to Contractors working
under this Agreement unless there is a journeyman working on the project where the apprentice
is to be employed who is qualified to assist and oversee the apprentice’s progress through the
program in which he is participating.
13.2.4 All apprentices shall work under the direct supervision of a journeyman from the
trade in which the apprentice is indentured. A journeyman shall be defined as set forth in the
California Code of Regulations, Title 8 [apprenticeship], Section 205, which defines a
journeyman as a person who has either completed an accredited apprenticeship in his or her craft,
or has completed the equivalent of an apprenticeship in length and content of work experience
and all other requirements in the craft which has workers classified as journeyman in the
apprenticeship occupation. Should a question arise as to a journeyman’s qualification under this
subsection, the Contractor shall provide adequate proof evidencing the worker’s qualification as
a journeyman to the Community Workforce Coordinator and the Council.
ARTICLE 14
PRE-JOB CONFERENCES
Each Prime Contractor will conduct a pre-job conference with the Unions for it and all of its
subcontractors not later than fourteen (14) calendar days prior to commencing work for each stage
of the Project . Each Contractor conducting a pre-job shall notify the Council and all subcontractors
of all tiers, who shall participate in such conferences, ten (10) days in advance of all such
Packet Pg. 439
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 29 Community Workforce Agreement
conferences. The purpose of the conference will be to, among other things, determine craft
manpower needs, schedule of work for the contract and project work rules/owner rules. The
Council, the Community Workforce Coordinator, and the City shall be advised in advance of all
such conferences and may participate if they wish. All work assignments shall be disclosed by the
Prime Contractor and all Contractors at the pre-job conference. Should there be Project Work that
was not previously discussed at the pre-job conference, or additional project work be added, the
contractors performing such work will conduct a separate pre-job conference for such newly
included work. Any Union in disagreement with the proposed assignment shall notify the
Contractor of its position in writing, with a copy to Community Workforce Coordinator, within
seven (7) calendar days thereafter. Within seven (7) calendar days after the period allowed for
Union notices of disagreement with the Contractor’s proposed assignments, but prior to the
commencement of any work, the Contractor shall make final assignments in writing with copies
to the Council and to the Community Workforce Coordinator.
ARTICLE 15
LABOR/MANAGEMENT COOPERATION
Section 15.1 Joint Committee: The Parties to this Agreement shall establish a six (6) person
Joint Administrative Committee (JAC). This JAC shall be comprised of three (3) representatives
selected by the City and three (3) representatives selected by the Council to monitor compliance
with the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Each representative shall designate an alternate
who shall serve in his or her absence for any purpose contemplated by this Agreement.
Section 15.2 Functions of Joint Committee: The Committee shall meet on a schedule to be
determined by the Committee or at the call of the joint chairs, to discuss the administration of the
Agreement, the progress of the Project, general labor management problems that may arise, and
any other matters consistent with this Agreement. Substantive grievances or disputes arising
under Articles 6, 7 or 9 shall not be reviewed or discussed by this Committee but shall be
processed pursuant to the provisions of the appropriate Article. The Community Workforce
Coordinator shall be responsible for the scheduling of the meetings, the preparation of the
agenda topics for the meetings, with input from the Unions the Contractors and the City. Notice
of the date, time and place of meetings, shall be given to the Committee members at least three
(3) business days prior to the meeting. The City should be notified of the meetings and invited to
send a representative(s) to participate. The Community Workforce Coordinator shall prepare
quarterly reports on apprentice utilization and the training and employment of City residents, and
a schedule of Project Work and estimated number of craft workers needed. The Committee or an
appropriate subcommittee, may review such reports and make any recommendations for
improvement, if necessary, including increasing the availability of skilled trades, and the
employment of local residents or other individuals who should be assisted with appropriate
training to qualify for apprenticeship programs.
ARTICLE 16
SAVINGS AND SEPARABILITY
Section 16.1 Savings Clause: It is not the intention of the City, the Community Workforce
Coordinator, Contractor or the Union parties to violate any laws governing the subject matter of
Packet Pg. 440
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 30 Community Workforce Agreement
this Agreement. The Parties hereto agree that in the event any provision of this Agreement is
finally held or determined to be illegal or void as being in contravention of any applicable law or
regulation, the remainder of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect unless the part or
parts so found to be void are wholly inseparable from the remaining portions of this Agreement.
Further, the Parties agree that if and when any provision(s) of this Agreement is finally held or
determined to be illegal or void by a court of competent jurisdiction, the Parties will promptly
enter into negotiations concerning the substantive effect of such decision for the purposes of
achieving conformity with the requirements of any applicable laws and the intent of the Parties
hereto. If the legality of this Agreement is challenged and any form of injunctive relief is
granted by any court, suspending temporarily or permanently the implementation of this
Agreement, then the Parties agree that all Project Work that would otherwise be covered by this
Agreement should be continued to be bid and constructed without application of this Agreement
so that there is no delay or interference with the ongoing planning, bidding and construction of
any Project Work.
Section 16.2 Effect of Injunctions or Other Court Orders: The Parties recognize the right of the
City to withdraw, at its absolute discretion, the utilization of the Agreement as part of any bid
specification should a Court of competent jurisdiction issue any order, or any applicable statute
which could result, temporarily or permanently in delay of the bidding, awarding and/or
construction on the Project. Notwithstanding such an action by the City, or such court order or
statutory provision, the Parties agree that the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect on
covered Project Work to the maximum extent legally possible.
ARTICLE 17
WAIVER
A waiver of or a failure to assert any provisions of this Agreement by any or all of the Parties
hereto shall not constitute a waiver of such provision for the future. Any such waiver shall not
constitute a modification of the Agreement or change in the terms and conditions of the
Agreement and shall not relieve, excuse or release any of the Parties from any of their rights,
duties or obligations hereunder.
ARTICLE 18
AMENDMENTS
The provisions of this Agreement can be renegotiated, supplemented, rescinded or otherwise
altered only by mutual agreement in writing, hereafter signed by the negotiating Parties hereto.
ARTICLE 19
ENTIRE AGREEMENT
19.1 This Agreement represents the complete understanding of the Parties. The provisions of
this Agreement, including the MLAs, which are incorporated herein by reference, shall apply to
the work covered by this Agreement. Where a subject covered by the provisions of this Agreement
is also covered by a MLA, the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail. Where a subject is
covered by the provisions of a MLA and is not covered by this Agreement, the provisions of the
MLA shall prevail.
Packet Pg. 441
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 31 Community Workforce Agreement
19.2 The parties agree that this Agreement, including the MLAs incorporated by reference,
covers all matters affecting wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment and that
during the term of this Agreement the Parties will not be required to negotiate on any further
matters affecting these or any other subject not specifically set forth in this Agreement except by
mutual agreement of the Parties.
19.3 This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, such that original signatures may appear
on separate pages and when bound together all necessary signatures shall constitute an original.
Facsimile or PDF signature pages transmitted to other parties to this Agreement shall be deemed
the equivalent to original signatures.
ARTICLE 20
DURATION OF THE AGREEMENT
Section 20.1 Duration:
20.1.1 This Agreement shall be effective from the date signed by all Parties and shall
remain in effect until completion of all Project Work or City acceptance of phases thereof.
Section 20.2 Turnover and Final Acceptance of Completed Work:
20.2.1 Construction of any phase, portion, section, or segment of Project Work shall be
deemed complete when such phase, portion, section or segment has been turned over to the City
by the Contractor and the City has accepted such phase, portion, section, or segment. As areas
and systems of the Project are inspected and construction-tested and/or approved and accepted
by the City or third parties with the approval of the City, the Agreement shall have no further
force or effect on such items or areas, except when the Contractor is directed by the City to
engage and repairs or modifications required by its contract(s) with the City.
20.2.2 Notice of each final acceptance received by the Contractor will be provided to the
Council with the description of what phase, portion, section or segment, etc. has been accepted.
Final acceptance may be subject to a “punch” list, and in such case, the Agreement will continue
to apply to each such item on the list until it is completed to the satisfaction of the City and
Notice of Acceptance is given by the City or its representative to the Contractor. At the request
of the Union, complete information describing any “punch” list work, as well as any additional
work required of a Contractor at the direction of the City pursuant to (a) above, involving
otherwise turned-over and completed facilities which have been accepted by the City, will be
available from the Community Workforce Coordinator.
IN WITNESS whereof the Parties have caused this Continuity of Work Agreement to be
executed as of the date and year above stated.
Packet Pg. 442
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 32 Community Workforce Agreement
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO TRI-COUNTIES
BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL
By: ________________________________ By: ________________________________
Tony Skinner, Executive Secretary
Dated: ___________________________ Dated: ___________________________
Packet Pg. 443
Item 14
TRI-COUNTIES BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL CRAFT UNIONS AND DISTRICT COUNCILS
Asbestos Heat & Frost Insulators (Local 5) _________________________
Boilermakers (Local 92) _________________________
Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers (Local 4) _________________________
Cement Masons (Local 600) _________________________
Electricians (Local 639) _________________________
Elevator Constructors (Local 18) _________________________
Iron Workers (Local 155) _________________________
Laborers (Local 220) _________________________
Operating Engineers (Local 12) _________________________
Operating Engineers (Local 12) _________________________
Operating Engineers (Local 12) _________________________
Painters & Allied Trades DC 36 _________________________
Pipe Trades (Local 403) _________________________
Pipe Trades (Local 345) _________________________
Pipe Trades District Council No. 16 _________________________
Pipe Trades (Sprinkler Fitters Local 669) _________________________
Plasterers (Local 200) _________________________
Roofers & Waterproofers (Local 36) _________________________
Sheet Metal Workers (Local 104) _________________________
Teamsters (Local 186) _________________________
Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters _________________________
Packet Pg. 444
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 34 Community Workforce Agreement
ATTACHMENT A
LETTER OF ASSENT
To be signed by all contractors awarded work covered by the
Community Workforce Agreement prior to commencing work.
[Contractor’s Letterhead]
Community Workforce Coordinator
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
Attn: __________________
Re: City of San Luis Obispo, Water Resource Recovery Facility Project, Community
Workforce Agreement - Letter of Assent
Dear Sir:
This is to confirm that [name of company] agrees to be party to and bound by the City of San
Luis Obispo, Water Resource Recovery Facility Project, Community Workforce Agreement
effective _______, 2018, as such Agreement may, from time to time, be amended by the
negotiating parties or interpreted pursuant to its terms. Such obligation to be a party and bound
by this Agreement shall extend to all work covered by the Agreement undertaken by this
Company on the project and this Company shall require all of its contractors and subcontractors
of whatever tier to be similarly bound for all work within the scope of the Agreement by signing
and furnishing to you an identical Letter of Assent prior to their commencement of work.
Sincerely,
[Name of Construction Company]
By: ________________________________
Name: ________________________________
Title: ________________________________
Contractor State License No. ________________________________
Project: _____________________________
[Copies of this letter must be submitted to the Community Workforce Coordinator and to the
Council per Section 2.4.2]
Packet Pg. 445
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 35 Community Workforce Agreement
ATTACHMENT B
Local Resident Zip Codes
(Tier 1)
[City of San Luis Obispo]
93401
93403
93405
93406
93407
93408
93409
93410
(Tier 2)
[Remaining zip codes in the County of San Luis Obispo]
93252 93430 93445 93454
93402 93432 93446 93461
93420 93433 93449 93465
93422 93435 93451
93426 93442 93452
93428 93444 93453
(Tier 3)
[All zip codes in the Santa Barbara and Monterey counties]
93032 93252 93450 93930
93013 93254 93901 93932
93067 93427 93905 93933
93101 93429 93906 93940
93103 93434 93907 93943
93105 93436 93908 93944
93106 93437 93920 93950
93108 93440 93923 93953
93109 93441 93924 93955
93110 93455 93925 93960
93111 93458 93926 93962
93117 93460 93927 95004
95012
95039
95076
93463
(Tier 4)
(All zip codes in Ventura County)
Packet Pg. 446
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 36 Community Workforce Agreement
ATTACHMENT C
CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO
WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY PROJECT
CRAFT REQUEST FORM
TO THE CONTRACTOR: Please complete and fax or email this form to the applicable union to request craft
workers that fulfill the hiring requirements for this project. After faxing or emailing your request, please call the
Union to verify receipt and substantiate their capacity to furnish workers as specified below. Please print your Fax
Transmission Verification Reports or email and keep copies for your records.
The City of San Luis Obispo, Water Resource Recovery Facility Project, Community Workforce Agreement
establishes a goal that 30% of all of the construction labor hours worked on the Project shall be from qualified
workers residing, as well as “Veterans,” regardless of where they reside: First, Area Residents residing in those first-
tier zip codes which cover the City of San Luis Obispo, as reflected on the attached list of zip codes, second, within
San Luis Obispo County, third, within Santa Barbara and Monterey counties, fourth, within Ventura County. For
Dispatch purposes, employees residing within any of these four (4) areas, as well as Veterans, regardless of where
they reside, shall be referred to as Local Residents.
TO THE UNION: Please complete the “Union Use Only” section on the next page and fax this form back to the
requesting Contractor. Be sure to retain a copy of this form for your records.
CONTRACTOR USE ONLY
To: Union Local # Fax# ( ) Date:
Cc: Community Workforce Coordinator
From: Company: Issued By:
Contact Phone: ( ) Contact Fax: ( )
PLEASE PROVIDE ME WITH THE FOLLOWING UNION CRAFT WORKERS.
Craft Classification
(i.e., plumber, painter,
etc.)
Journeyman
or
Apprentice
Local Resident
or
General Dispatch
Number
of
workers
needed
Report Date Report Time
TOTAL WORKERS REQUESTED = ______________
Please have worker(s) report to the following work address indicated below:
Project Name: _______________________ Site: _____________________ Address: ________________________
Report to: _______________________ On-site Tel: __________________ On-site Fax: ___________________
Comment or Special Instructions: ________________________________________________________________
Packet Pg. 447
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 37 Community Workforce Agreement
UNION USE ONLY
WORKER REFERRED
Date dispatch request received:
Dispatch received by:
Classification of worker requested:
Classification of worker dispatched:
Name:
Date worker was dispatched:
Is the worker referred a: (check all that apply)
JOURNEYMAN
Yes _____ No _____
APPRENTICE
Yes _____ No _____
LOCAL AREA RESIDENT
Yes _____ No _____
GENERAL DISPATCH FROM OUT OF WORK LIST
Yes _____
No _____
[This form is not intended to replace a Union’s Dispatch or Referral Form
normally given to the employee when being dispatched to the jobsite.]
Packet Pg. 448
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 38 Community Workforce Agreement
ATTACHMENT D
TRI-COUNTIES BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
TRADES COUNCIL
APPROVED
DRUG AND ALCOHOL TESTING POLICY
The Parties recognize the problems which drug and alcohol abuse have created in the
construction industry and the need to develop drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs.
Accordingly, the Parties agree that in order to enhance the safety of the work place and to
maintain a drug and alcohol free work environment, individual Employers may require
applicants or employees to undergo drug and alcohol testing.
1. It is understood that the use, possession, transfer or sale of illegal drugs, narcotics,
or other unlawful substances, as well as being under the influence of alcohol and the possession
or consuming alcohol is absolutely prohibited while employees are on the Employer’s job
premises or while working on any jobsite in connection with work performed under the
Community Workforce Agreement (“CWA”).
2. No Employer may implement a drug testing program which does not conform in
all respects to the provisions of this Policy.
3. No Employer may implement drug testing at any jobsite unless written notice is
given to the Union setting forth the location of the jobsite, a description of the project under
construction, and the name and telephone number of the Project Supervisor. Said notice shall be
addressed to the office of each Union signing the CWA. Said notice shall be delivered in person
or by registered mail before the implementation of drug testing. Failure to give such notice shall
make any drug testing engaged in by the Employer a violation of the CWA, and the Employer
may not implement any form of drug testing at such jobsite for the following six months.
4. An employer who elects to implement drug testing pursuant to this Agreement
shall require all employees on the Project to be tested. With respect to individuals who become
employed on the Project subsequent to the proper implementation of this drug testing program,
such test shall be administered upon the commencement of employment on the project, whether
by referral from a Union Dispatch Office, transfer from another project, or another method.
Individuals who were employed on the project prior to the proper implementation of this drug
testing program may only be subjected to testing for the reasons set forth in Paragraph 5(f) (1)
through 5(f) (3) of this Policy. Refusal to undergo such testing shall be considered sufficient
grounds to deny employment on the project.
5. The following procedure shall apply to all drug testing:
a. The Employer may request urine samples only. The applicant or employee
shall not be observed when the urine specimen is given. An applicant or employee, at his or her
sole option, shall, upon request, receive a blood test in lieu of a urine test. No employee of the
Employer shall draw blood from a bargaining unit employee, touch or handle urine specimens, or
Packet Pg. 449
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 39 Community Workforce Agreement
in any way become involved in the chain of custody of urine or blood specimens. A Union
Representative, subject to the approval of the individual applicant or employee, shall be
permitted to accompany the applicant or employee to the collection facility to observe the
collection, bottling, and sealing of the specimen.
b. The testing shall be done by a laboratory approved by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which is chosen by the Employer and the Union.
c. An initial test shall be performed using the Enzyme Multiplied
Immunoassay Technique (EMZT). In the event a question or positive result arises from the initial
test, a confirmation test must be utilized before action can be taken against the applicant or
employee. The confirmation test will be by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).
Cutoff levels for both the initial test and confirmation test will be those established by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse. Confirmed positive samples will be retained by the testing
laboratory in secured long-term frozen storage for a minimum of one year. Handling and
transportation of each sample must be documented through strict chain of custody procedures.
d. In the event of a confirmed positive test result the applicant or employee
may request, within forty-eight (48) hours, a sample of his/her specimen from the testing
laboratory for purposes of a second test to be performed at a second laboratory, designated by the
Union and approved by NDA. The retest must be performed within ten (10) days of the request.
Chain of custody for this sample shall be maintained by the Employer between the original
testing laboratory and the Union's designated laboratory. Retesting shall be performed at the
applicant’s or employee’s expense. In the event of conflicting test results the Employer may
require a third test.
e. If, as a result of the above testing procedure, it is determined that an
applicant or employee has tested positive, this shall be considered sufficient grounds to deny the
applicant or employee his/her employment on the Project.
f. No individual who tests negative for drugs or alcohol pursuant to the
above procedure and becomes employed on the Project shall again be subjected to drug testing
with the following exceptions:
1. Employees who are involved in industrial accidents resulting in
damage to plant, property or equipment or injury to him/herself or others may be tested pursuant
to the procedures stated hereinabove.
2. The Employer may test employees following thirty (30) days
advance written notice to the employee(s) to be tested and to the applicable Union. Notice to the
applicable Union shall be as set forth in Paragraph 3 above and such testing shall be pursuant to
the procedures stated hereinabove.
3. The Employer may test an employee where the Employer has
reasonable cause to believe that the employee is impaired from performing his/her job.
Reasonable cause shall be defined as exhibiting aberrant or unusual behavior, the type of which
Packet Pg. 450
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 40 Community Workforce Agreement
is a recognized and accepted symptom of impairment (i.e., slurred speech, unusua1 lack of
muscular coordination, etc.). Such behavior must be actually observed by at least two persons,
one of whom shall be a Supervisor who has been trained to recognize the symptoms of drug
abuse or impairment and the other of whom shall be the job steward. If the job steward is
unavailable or there is no job steward on the project the other person shall be a member of the
applicable Union’s bargaining unit. Testing shall be pursuant to the procedures stated
hereinabove. Employees who are tested pursuant to the exceptions set forth in this paragraph and
who test positive will be removed from the Employer's payroll.
g. Applicants or employees who do not test positive shall be paid for all time
lost while undergoing drug testing. Payment shall be at the applicable wage and benefit rates set
forth in the applicable Union’s Master Labor Agreement. Applicants who have been dispatched
from the Union and who are not put to work pending the results of a test will be paid waiting
time until such time as they are put to work. It is understood that an applicant must pass the test
as a condition of employment. Applicants who are put to work pending the results of a test will
be considered probationary employees.
6. The employers will be allowed to conduct periodic job site drug testing on the
Project under the following conditions:
a. The entire jobsite must be tested, including any employee or
subcontractor’s employee who worked on that project three (3) working days before or after the
date of the test;
b. Jobsite testing cannot commence sooner than thirty (30) days after start of
the work on the Project;
c. Prior to start of periodic testing, a business representative will be allowed
to conduct an educational period on company time to explain periodic jobsite testing program to
affected employees;
d. Testing shall be conducted by a N.I.D.A. certified laboratory, pursuant to
the provisions set forth in Paragraph 5 hereinabove.
e. Only two periodic tests may be performed in a twelve month period.
7. It is understood that the unsafe use of prescribed medication, or where the use of
prescribed medication impairs the employee's ability to perform work, is a basis for the
Employer to remove the employee from the jobsite.
8. Any grievance or dispute which may arise out of the application of this
Agreement shall be subject to the grievance and arbitration procedures set forth in the CWA.
9. The establishment or operation of this Policy shall not curtail any right of any
employee found in any law, rule or regulation. Should any part of this Agreement be found
unlawful by a court of competent jurisdiction or a public agency having jurisdiction over the
Packet Pg. 451
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 41 Community Workforce Agreement
parties, the remaining portions of the Agreement shall be unaffected and the parties shall enter
negotiations to replace the affected provision.
10. Present employees, if tested positive, shall have the prerogative for rehabilitation
program at the employee’s expense. When such program has been successfully completed the
Employer shall not discriminate in any way against the employee. If work for which the
employee is qualified exists he/she shall be reinstated.
11. The Employer agrees that results of urine and blood tests performed hereunder
will be considered medical records held confidential to the extent permitted or required by law.
Such records shall not be released to any persons or entities other than designated Employer
representatives and the applicable Union. Such release to the applicable Union shall only be
allowed upon the signing of a written release and the information contained therein shall not be
used to discourage the employment of the individual applicant or employee on any subsequent
occasion.
12. The Employer shall indemnify and hold the Union harmless against any and all
claims, demands, suits, or liabilities that may arise out of the application of this Agreement
and/or any program permitted hereunder.
13. Employees who seek voluntary assistance for substance abuse may not be
disciplined for seeking such assistance. Requests from employees for such assistance shall
remain confidential and shall not be revealed to other employees or management personnel
without the employee's consent. Employees enrolled in substance abuse programs shall be
subject to all Employer rules, regulations and job performance standards with the understanding
that an employee enrolled in such a program is receiving treatment for an illness.
14. This Memorandum, of Understanding shall constitute the only Agreement in effect
between the parties concerning drug and alcohol abuse, prevention and testing. Any
modifications thereto must be accomplished pursuant to collective bargaining negotiations
between the parties.
Packet Pg. 452
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 42 Community Workforce Agreement
DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND DETECTION
APPENDIX A
CUTOFF LEVELS
DRUG SCREENING
METHOD
SCREENING
LEVEL **
CONFIRMATION
METHOD
CONFIRMATION
LEVEL
Alcohol EMIT 0.02% CG/MS 0.02%
Amphetamines EMIT 1000 ng/m* CG/MS 500 ng/ml*
Barbiturates EMIT 300 ng/ml CG/MS 200 ng/ml
Benzodiazepines EMIT 300 ng/ml CG/MS 300 ng/ml
Cocaine EMIT 300 ng/ml* CG/MS 150 ng/ml*
Methadone EMIT 300 ng/ml CG/MS 100 ng/ml
Methaqualone EMIT 300 ng/ml CG/MS 300 ng/ml
Opiates EMIT 2000 ng/ml* CG/MS 2000 ng/ml*
PCP (Phencyclidine) EMIT 25 ng/ml* CG/MS 25 ng/ml*
THC (Marijuana) EMIT 50 ng/ml* CG/MS 15 ng/ml*
Propoxyphene EMIT 300 ng/ml CG/MS 100 ng/ml
* SAMHSA specified threshold
** A sample reported positive contains the Indicated drug at or above the cutoff level
for that drug. A negative sample either contains no drug or contains a drug below the cutoff
level.
EMIT - Enzyme Immunoassay
CC/MS - Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Packet Pg. 453
Item 14
City of San Luis Obispo 43 Community Workforce Agreement
SIDE LETTER OF AGREEMENT
TESTING POLICY FOR DRUG ABUSE
It is hereby agreed between the parties hereto that an Employer who has otherwise properly
implemented drug testing, as set forth in the Testing Policy for Drug Abuse, shall have the right
to offer an applicant or employee a "quick" drug screening test. This “quick” screen test shall
consist either of the “ICUP” urine screen or similar test or an oral screen test. The applicant or
employee shall have the absolute right to select either of the two “quick” screen tests, or to reject
both and request a full drug test.
An applicant or employee who selects one of the quick screen tests, and who passes the test,
shall be put to work immediately. An applicant or employee who fails the “quick” screen test, or
who rejects the quick screen tests, shall be tested pursuant to the procedures set forth in the
Testing Policy for Drug Abuse. The sample used for the "quick" screen test shall be discarded
immediately upon conclusion of the test. An applicant or employee shall not be deprived of any
rights granted to them by the Testing Policy for Drug Abuse as a result of any occurrence related
to the “quick” screen test.
Packet Pg. 454
Item 14
Meeting Date: 7/10/2018
FROM: Derek Johnson, City Manager
J. Christine Dietrick, City Attorney
Carrie Mattingly, Utilities Director
Justin Pickard, Water Systems Consulting, Inc., WRRF Project Consultant
SUBJECT: WATER RESOURCE RECOVERY FACILITY (WRRF) PROJECT LABOR
AGREEMENT EVALUATION
RECOMMENDATION
Receive a report on the potential use of a Project Labor Agreement in connection with the City’s
WRRF Project and provide direction to staff whether to proceed with negotiation of an
Agreement.
REPORT-IN-BRIEF
The purpose of this report is to review typical provisions in project labor agreements (PLAs) and
evaluate the potential impacts of key provisions on the City of San Luis Obispo’s (City) Water
Resource Recovery Facility Project (WRRF Project). The intent of the report is to evaluate the
potential impact of a PLA on the WRRF Project from a practical perspective. The memorandum
is not intended to be an exhaustive review of every provision included in PLAs or to provide an
opinion on the merit of a PLA for the WRRF Project.
PLAs are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements that establish standard terms and conditions
that apply to a specific construction project or category of projects, typically larger and more
complex projects. PLAs are typically negotiated between the project owner and the local
building trades council and/or individual construction trades, although PLAs can be directly
negotiated between contractors and construction trades. The agreements are negotiated prior to
advertisement for bids and become part of the bid package. The general contractor and
subcontractors of any tier must agree to be bound by the requirements of the agreement as part of
their bid submission and they must sign on to the agreement prior to performing any work on a
PLA-covered project.
Key PLA provisions include the establishment of 1) uniform work conditions; 2) hiring
procedures; 3) wages and benefits; 4) management rights; 5) labor dispute resolution procedures;
6) procedures to prevent work stoppages; and 7) agreement to adhere to existing Master Labor
Agreements (MLAs) for the trades subject to the PLA. In addition, PLAs often include
provisions to promote participation in covered projects from targeted categories of workers,
including residents, apprentices, historically underutilized residents and businesses, at-risk
persons, veterans, minority-owned businesses and disadvantaged business enterprises. The
Council expressed interest in the potential of the PLA structure for advancing local hire and local
economic development objectives.
Item 13
Packet Pg. 177Packet Pg. 455
Item 14
There are competing positions as to the value, utility and cost impacts of PLAs and this report
does not propose to resolve those conflicting positions. Rather, this report attempts to provide
the Council with as much objective, preliminary information as possible and facilitate a public
discussion of the potential benefits and impacts of a PLA specific to the WRRF Project, looking
at the likely time and expense associated with negotiating and implementing an agreement at this
stage of the WRRF Project planning. The Local Plumbers, Pipefitters and Refrigeration Fitters
Local Union 403 provided the Council with a binder of materials in support of its request that the
Council consider pursuing a PLA for the WRRF Project. Within that material are references to
multiple studies both supporting and opposing the PLA model and that material is available for
public review in the Council reading file.
Following discussion of this report and supporting materials, staff will seek Council direction
whether to pursue negotiations of a PLA for the WRRF Project.
DISCUSSION
The following sections detail typical provisions included in PLAs, and potential considerations
for the WRRF Project regarding each provision.
Work Conditions
Uniform Work Conditions
PLAs commonly include provisions to establish uniform work conditions across each of the
construction trades providing craft labor on the covered project. Conditions typically covered
include work hours, holidays, meal periods, break periods, overtime and double-time pay, shifts,
and shift differential pay. For contractors that are signatory to the unions, the Master Labor
Agreement with each individual trade sets forth standard work conditions. The Master Labor
Agreement for each trade can include slightly different provisions related to work conditions,
and a PLA can serve to standardize these conditions across all trades and simplify the
management process.
Many of the work conditions typically covered in PLAs are also addressed in the California
Labor Code including shift lengths, meal and break periods, and overtime/double-time pay. In
addition, the construction contract sets forth allowable work hours and holidays observed by the
project owner. In the absence of a PLA, California Labor Code and the construction contract
will establish the work conditions for the project in question.
WRRF Project Considerations
Standard work conditions provisions in a PLA are not anticipated to have a significant impact on
the WRRF Project, as many of the provisions typically included are addressed in the California
Labor Code and the construction contract documents.
Hiring Procedures
Union Recognition
PLAs designate the trade unions and the local or regional building trades council as the exclusive
source of craft labor on covered projects and the exclusive bargaining representative for craft
workers. In addition, employers must recognize the jurisdiction and scope of work specific to
Item 13
Packet Pg. 178Packet Pg. 456
Item 14
each trade as established in each Master Labor Agreement. Terms requiring compliance with
existing Master Labor Agreements are typically incorporated into the PLA.
Referral Systems
PLAs require that established union referral systems be used exclusively to obtain craft labor on
covered projects. If a union referral system is unable to refer workers within a defined period
typically 48 hours), contractors are often allowed to hire employees from other sources. PLAs
do not discriminate between union and non-union workers and referrals cannot be based on a
preference for union members over non-union members; however, non-union workers must
register with the union hiring hall to become eligible for assignment to a covered project
Core Employees
PLAs typically limit the number of employees that non-union contractors can bring to a project
without utilizing the union hiring hall system. These employees are termed “core” employees,
and typically include key positions such as foremen. Most agreements exclude key management
employees above the general foreman level from the requirements of the agreement. Employees
must meet specific requirements to be considered a core employee including being recently
active on the contractor’s payroll (i.e., for 60 of the 100 working days immediately prior to the
award of the contract), possessing licenses required for the performance of the project work, and
having the ability to safely perform the duties and functions of the trade for which they are
providing craft labor.
Non-union contractors can hire core employees on a one-to-one ratio with employees referred by
the union hiring hall up to a maximum number of core employees (typical limitations of 5 core
employees appear common but would be a term subject to negotiation). For example, the
contractor can hire a member of its core workforce first, followed by an employee referred from
the union hiring hall second, then another member of its core workforce. This process continues
until the maximum number of core employees specified in the PLA is reached. Core employee
provisions do not apply to union signatory contractors.
Union and Non-Union Contractor Comparison
For union contractors and on PLA-covered projects, Master Labor Agreements clearly define the
scope of work that can be performed by each individual trade, and workers are not allowed to
work outside of their classification/jurisdiction. Non-union contractors on projects not covered
by a PLA can allow their employees to perform a wider range of tasks. For example, a non-
union employee can perform functions of multiple trades (e.g., laborer, operating engineer,
cement mason), provided they are paid the appropriate prevailing wage rate for each
classification while performing the work.
Hiring procedures included in PLAs limit the ability of non-union contractors to utilize their core
workforce on covered projects. PLAs establish the maximum number of core employees that a
non-union contractor can employ on a project and require non-union contractors to use union
referral systems exclusively for obtaining craft labor. While non-union workers can register with
the union and become eligible to work on the project, they are subject to the hiring hall rules of
each specific trade. Union hiring halls maintain out-of-work lists, and applicants are typically
referred to projects based on the order in which they registered with the hiring hall (i.e., first
Item 13
Packet Pg. 179Packet Pg. 457
Item 14
come, first served). It is important to note that the hiring procedures and hiring hall rules are
specific to each local union.
Hiring procedures in PLAs do not significantly impact union signatory contractors. Signatory
contractors routinely use union referral systems to obtain craft labor and can request specific
employees by name, rather than requesting workers from the out-of-work list for each trade. In
addition, core employee provisions do not apply to union contractors and union contractors are
able to utilize their core workforce without limitation. Exceptions can include specific
requirements in Master Labor Agreements that restrict or limit participation of “traveling” union
members from their home union to the local union at the project location.
WRRF Project Considerations
The impact of PLA hiring procedure provisions on the WRRF Project depends largely on
whether the prequalified contractors eligible to bid on the Project are signatory to the individual
unions. Non-union contractors will be impacted by limits placed on their ability to utilize their
core workforce. Union contractors will not be significantly impacted by the hiring procedure
provisions as the procedures reflect their standard work practices, except for travel restrictions
imposed by local unions on union members working outside the jurisdiction of their home union.
Specialty Subcontractors
The PLA hiring procedures likely will impact smaller, specialty subcontractors more than the
general contractor and major subcontractors. Specialty subcontractors (e.g., roofers, glaziers, tile
installers, sheet metal workers, etc.) have a smaller role relative to the overall scope of the
WRRF Project, provide fewer employees and less craft hours, and are more likely to be local
contractors. Non-union specialty contractors with a small workforce generally rely more heavily
on their core employees, and limitations on their ability to fully utilize their core workforce could
disproportionately affect their ability to effectively perform their subcontracted scope of work, as
compared to larger contractors. In addition, small non-union contractors may not fully
understand the PLA requirements when submitting subcontract bids and may refuse to sign the
required letter of assent before beginning work on a PLA-covered project. This can result in cost
and schedule impacts associated with subcontractor substitutions.
Careful consideration should be given to the impacts of a PLA on smaller specialty contractors if
the City decides to move forward with an agreement. Negotiations with the building trades
should include a discussion of potential exemptions from the typical PLA hiring provisions and
core worker restrictions for small and specialty subcontractors performing limited scope on the
WRRF Project. Additionally, consideration should be given to mandatory pre-bid meetings to
ensure that all potential bidders and subs are aware of the PLA requirements, understand their
obligations and restrictions under a PLA and have an opportunity to have pre-bid questions
addressed to facilitate fully informed bids.
Construction Inspection
Construction inspectors, materials testers, and other personnel performing quality assurance and
quality control functions may also be impacted by the hiring procedures set forth in a PLA.
Construction inspectors are typically employed by a third-party construction manager through a
professional services agreement with the project owner. Materials testers and specialty
Item 13
Packet Pg. 180Packet Pg. 458
Item 14
inspectors (e.g., soils technicians, certified welding inspectors, reinforced concrete inspectors,
etc.) are typically employed as subconsultants to the construction manager. While professional
services are exempt from PLAs, construction inspectors, materials testers, and personnel
performing quality control and quality assurance generally are covered crafts under a PLA and
are subject to the typical hiring procedure provisions discussed in the preceding paragraphs.
The City is currently in the process of procuring a consultant to provide construction
management and inspection services for the WRRF Project. The City’s evaluation of
construction management firms will be partially based on the qualifications of the proposed
inspection staff. Construction inspectors must have experience providing quality assurance for
complex civil, structural, and mechanical treatment facility projects like the WRRF Project. As
providers of professional services, most construction management firms are not signatory to
construction unions and non-union firms will be subject to standard PLA hiring procedures,
including core worker provisions. It is anticipated that five to six inspectors will be employed on
the WRRF Project through the course of construction, and the City’s construction manager could
be required to obtain a portion of its inspection staff through the union hiring system.
The core worker provisions in a PLA will impact the construction manager’s ability to utilize its
inspection staff on the WRRF Project. Should the City elect to move forward with a PLA,
negotiations with the building trades should include a discussion of potential exemption from the
typical PLA hiring provisions and core worker restrictions for project staff performing quality
assurance work, including construction inspectors, specialty inspectors, and materials testers.
In addition, the construction management services contract is tentatively scheduled to be
executed in September 2018. If the City decides to enter into a PLA with the building trades, the
agreement will likely not be finalized before the construction manager is procured and the
construction management services contract will need to be renegotiated to reflect the terms of the
PLA. Depending on the length and complexity of negotiations, this could impact anticipated
contracting timelines.
Wages and Benefits
Wages
Wages for craft workers on public works projects are paid in accordance with applicable state
and federal prevailing wage rates. PLAs do not supersede applicable prevailing wage rates and
wages paid to craft workers are the same for PLA and non-PLA projects.
Benefits
The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) establishes basic hourly rates and fringe
benefit amounts that must be provided to the employee by the employer. Fringe benefits include
health and welfare, pension, vacation/holiday, training, and “other” benefits. “Other” benefits
include contributions to management relations boards, industry advancement funds, and other
miscellaneous initiatives specific to each trade. Non-union contractors must provide benefits of
equivalent value as the fringe benefit amounts established by the DIR or pay fringe benefits
directly to their employees in cash. Training benefits must be paid directly to a State-approved
apprenticeship program and are not paid directly to the employee as cash.
Item 13
Packet Pg. 181Packet Pg. 459
Item 14
Union contractors provide fringe benefit payments on behalf of their employees directly to union
trusts, who in turn provide benefits to their members. As with non-union contractors, training
benefits must be paid directly to a State-approved apprenticeship program and are not paid
directly to the union trust fund.
Union and Non-Union Contractor Comparison
On PLA-covered projects, all contractors, regardless of union affiliation, must pay fringe benefit
contributions directly to the union trust fund for each employee for the duration of the project.
Union contractors are not affected by this requirement as it reflects their normal business practice
and is in alignment with the Master Labor Agreements between the construction trades and union
employers.
The extent to which payment of fringe benefits to union trusts affects non-union contractors
depends largely on the benefits employers offer to their employees. If non-union contractors
provide retirement benefits such as 401k plans or health insurance, these benefits would no
longer be provided through the employer and would be provided through the union trust. For
non-union contractors that pay fringe benefit contributions directly to employees as cash, the
contractors would simply begin making these payments to the union trust on the employees’
behalf.
Information published by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics
indicates that union workers have greater participation rates in medical benefit plans than non-
union workers, 79% versus 46%, respectively. In addition, union workers have greater
participation rates in retirement plans than non-union workers, 82% versus 47%, respectively
United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017).
WRRF Project Considerations
Union members must work a minimum number of hours each year to become vested in union
pension programs. Non-union workers for whom fringe benefits are paid to the union trust by
their employer during the WRRF Project might not work sufficient hours to become vested and
may not ultimately realize any benefit from the trust fund contributions made on their behalf.
This issue may be more pronounced for non-union specialty subcontractor employees
performing limited scope on the WRRF Project (e.g., roofers, glaziers, tile installers, etc.). These
employees may not work sufficient hours to become vested in union trust funds because they
will be performing a discrete scope of work that will be completed in a short period of time on
the WRRF Project.
For non-union workers performing limited scope on the WRRF Project for a limited period,
employers may elect to continue providing their standard retirement and health benefits while
also providing fringe benefit payments directly to the union trust. Provision of benefit payments
to both the union trust and directly to the employee can result in increased costs to the employer.
Item 13
Packet Pg. 182Packet Pg. 460
Item 14
If the City decides to consider a PLA for the WRRF Project, negotiations with the building
trades should include a discussion of potential exemptions from the required union trust fund
benefit payments for small contractors performing limited scope on the WRRF Project.
Management Rights
PLAs include provisions detailing the rights maintained by management under the agreement.
PLAs typically give management exclusive rights to plan and direct the work; hire, layoff, and
promote employees; determine the number of employees required to prosecute the work;
determine means and methods of construction; select craft foremen; and assign and schedule the
work. The intent of these provisions is to preserve the ability of management to perform key
duties that are critical to the successful performance of work under the covered project.
WRRF Project Considerations
Management rights provisions are not anticipated to impact the WRRF Project. These provisions
are simply intended to clearly express to signatories that contractors retain the right to manage
the labor force on a covered project.
Work Stoppages
PLAs include provisions expressly prohibiting strikes, picketing, work stoppages, slowdowns,
and lockouts to ensure the continued performance of work and to prevent schedule delays on
covered projects, with limited exceptions. When employers and employees are unable to agree
on the terms and conditions of employment, employees may implement work stoppages such as
strikes, or slowdowns and employers can implement lockouts. Work stoppages are used to
compel either the employer or the employees to agree to the terms and conditions of employment
in dispute. Some PLAs allow unions to withhold craft labor in the event a contractor is
delinquent in payment of its weekly payroll or payments to the union trust.
Work stoppages can significantly impact a construction project as they interrupt the availability
of craft labor and delay performance of the work. Union employees are prevented from striking
on the basis of economic conditions when bound by an active collective bargaining agreement
and can only strike after a good faith effort has been made at collective bargaining. Union
employees are not constrained in their ability to strike on the basis of unfair labor practices when
certain conditions are met. It is beyond the scope of this report to detail the circumstances and
laws surrounding employers’ and employees’ ability to implement work stoppages.
WRRF Project Considerations
The construction trades in California have a long history of successful collective bargaining with
the construction industry. A review of work stoppage data compiled by the United States
Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics did not identify any work stoppages by the
construction trades in California involving 1,000 or more workers over the last ten years (United
States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018). Work stoppages resulting from a
lapse in the collective bargaining agreements between the construction trades and the
construction industry do not present a significant risk to the WRRF Project.
Previous public works projects constructed by the City have been picketed by the construction
trades, and in isolated incidents, workers have refused to cross picket lines. In the event of a
picket at the WRRF Project, union workers might refuse to cross picket lines, impacting
Item 13
Packet Pg. 183Packet Pg. 461
Item 14
performance of the work. A PLA would expressly prohibit strikes, picketing, and work
stoppages and would mitigate this concern. It is recommended that additional analysis be
performed to better understand the membership rules of each trade regarding the ability of union
members to cross picket lines. This analysis would help quantify the risk of a work slowdown
resulting from a picket if a PLA is not in place for the WRRF Project.
Dispute Resolution
Dispute resolution provisions are included in PLAs to establish a uniform and timely process to
resolve project issues without slowing down or stopping the work. Disputes regarding the
jurisdiction of individual trades are settled in accordance with the Plan for the Settlement of
Jurisdictional Disputes in the Construction Industry (the Plan). The Plan is a broadly recognized
dispute resolution procedure established by the AFL-CIO and construction employer associations
that has been in place since 1984. When a jurisdictional dispute between trades arises on a
project covered by a PLA (e.g., laborer versus pipefitter scope for the installation of underground
pipelines), the issue is referred to the Plan for settlement. PLAs include provisions that prohibit
work slowdowns and stoppages while jurisdictional disputes are being resolved.
PLAs also include provisions related to resolution of grievances and disputes not specifically
related to jurisdictional issues. PLAs establish a defined, step-wise process for dispute resolution
that encourages resolution of project issues on the lowest possible level. The dispute resolution
process typically culminates with arbitration if not settled at a lower level, typically before an
arbitrator selected from an agreed upon list of arbitrators to facilitate timely resolution. As with
jurisdictional disputes, parties to a PLA cannot stop or slow down the work because of a
grievance or dispute.
WRRF Project Considerations
It is difficult to evaluate the impacts of PLA dispute resolution provisions on the WRRF Project.
Disputes on construction projects are typically resolved informally by the general contractor and
subcontractor management teams or through the formal dispute resolution and claims process
detailed in the contract documents on non-PLA projects.
Jurisdictional issues are more likely to arise between union contractors or on PLA-covered
projects where workers are not allowed to work outside of their classification, but where the
scope of work for multiple trades overlaps. For example, the scope of work for both laborers and
pipefitters includes installation of piping in water and wastewater treatment facilities. This
overlap in scope may result in a jurisdictional dispute depending on the amount of work in
question and the willingness of the trades to pursue resolution through the Plan. If a contractor
signatory to the laborers union bids the WRRF Project assuming laborers will install the
mechanical piping and assumes prevailing wage rates for laborers in its bid, but the piping work
is later found to be within the jurisdiction of the pipefitters at pipefitter prevailing wage rates, the
contractor would incur significant additional costs. Non-union contractors on projects not
subject to PLA agreements would not be faced with a jurisdictional dispute and could elect to
perform the work with laborers; however, the pipefitters could file a complaint with the DIR
Department of Industrial Relations) that the workers were not being paid the appropriate
prevailing wage rate, which would be subject to an investigation by the Division of Labor
Standards Enforcement.
Item 13
Packet Pg. 184Packet Pg. 462
Item 14
Targeted Worker Participation
Many PLAs include provisions to increase participation in covered projects by targeted
categories workers. Targeted categories typically include residents, apprentices, at-risk persons
e.g., economically disadvantaged individuals as defined in the agreement or those with prior low
level criminal records that can create barriers to employment), veterans, and disadvantaged
business enterprises. PLAs establish goals for the percentage of total craft hours on the covered
project to be performed by the targeted workers. Construction contractors can be required to
retain the services of a jobs coordinator, who works with the contractor, unions, local workforce
development agencies, and apprenticeship programs to help the contractor meet the participation
goals for each demographic set forth in the agreement.
WRRF Project Considerations
Targeted worker category provisions can be effective in increasing participation in the WRRF
Project by the targeted demographics and developing the local workforce. The success of
targeted worker participation provisions depends on commitment to the process by all parties to
the PLA through ongoing and active management.
Schedule
PLAs are typically negotiated between the project owner and the local or regional building trades
council, who represents a group of different craft unions. Some crafts anticipated to perform
work on a covered project might not be represented by the building trades council, and the PLA
would need to be negotiated with each of these crafts individually. The amount of time required
to negotiate a PLA varies widely and depends on the content of the agreement initially presented
by the building trades as a starting point to the negotiations. Once the City has reviewed the
draft agreement, it can identify the provisions that warrant additional discussion and negotiations
can begin.
It is estimated that the length of time required to negotiate a PLA for the WRRF Project could
range from two months to one year or more. If the City is willing to accept the standard PLA
agreement presented by the building trades council and detailed negotiations are not required, it
will take approximately two months to work through the City Council approval process and
circulate the final agreement for execution. If provisions of the standard agreement warrant
additional negotiations and the City is required to negotiate with multiple trades not represented
by the Building Trades Council, the process could take up to one year or more.
If the City elects to move forward with a PLA, the agreement must be in place prior to issuing
the bid advertisement for the WRRF Project, which is tentatively scheduled to be issued in
December 2018. The PLA must be included in the contract documents to inform prospective
bidders and subcontractors of their responsibility to comply with the terms and conditions of the
agreement. Implementing a PLA after contract award and start of construction would be difficult
and likely disrupt the WRRF Project.
One of the key drivers of the WRRF project is the Time Schedule Order (TSO) that requires the
City to be in compliance with nutrients and disinfection by-products by the fall of 2019. Delays
have already resulted in the City being unable to meet the disinfection requirements. The City is
in discussions with the Central Coast Water Board (CCWB) on possible regulatory pathways to
Item 13
Packet Pg. 185Packet Pg. 463
Item 14
reduce or eliminate fines for the TSO, but this issue has not been resolved. Additional delays
may result in added fines and enforcement actions.
The present construction climate throughout California has been volatile with projects recently
coming in over budget. Additional delays may result in escalation of construction costs and the
need to retain supporting professional services for the project.
Cost
Impacts of a PLA on construction bids are difficult to quantify and are beyond the scope of this
report to assess comprehensively. Proponents of PLAs assert that these agreements save money
by making overall labor reliability and project cost management more predictable, while
opponents argue that PLAs increase project costs due to labor agreement compliance
administration and union/fringe benefits contributions requirements. Information regarding the
arguments on both sides of this issue is readily available through previously published articles
and research. The anecdotal feedback staff received from public entity colleagues who have
completed projects subject to PLAs is that the bids received on their PLA projects did not seem
significantly out of scale in comparison to non-PLA projects of a similar size; however, the
consistent feedback was that it really isn’t possible to know what the cost impacts on a project
might have been absent a parallel bid process, with one including the PLA requirement and the
other not. This section will focus on the costs that are more readily quantifiable including costs
to support contract negotiations, costs to incorporate the PLA into the construction documents,
and costs to administer the PLA through construction.
PLA Negotiation
Negotiation of the PLA will require participation from the City’s Utilities Department, the City
Attorney’s office, outside legal counsel, and the WRRF Project Program Management Team.
Costs to support PLA negotiations will depend on the extent and duration of the negotiations and
can vary widely.
Contract Document Development
The construction contract documents will need to reflect the requirements of the PLA so
prospective bidders and subcontractors will be aware of their responsibilities regarding the
agreement. Language is typically included in the bid advertisement, bid form, agreement, and
the front-end documents to detail PLA requirements. In addition, the complete PLA is included
in the contract documents as part of the front-end documents or as an appendix. It is
recommended that a specification be developed to detail the targeted worker participation
requirements, as the procedures for meeting participation goals and reporting requirements are
typically not explained in detail in the PLA. The targeted worker specification will increase the
likelihood of meeting the participation goals set forth, increase transparency in the process, and
facilitate accountability of all parties to the agreement.
Modification of the construction contract documents to reflect the PLA will require participation
from the City’s Utilities Department, the City Attorney’s office, outside legal counsel, the design
engineer, and the WRRF Project Program Management Team.
PLA Administration
PLAs require that the project owner designate a Project Labor Coordinator to act as the owner’s
Item 13
Packet Pg. 186Packet Pg. 464
Item 14
agent and to facilitate implementation and compliance with the PLA. The Project Labor
Coordinator can be a member of the owner’s staff, but an outside contractor with specific
experience administering PLAs is typically used. In many cases, the Project Labor Coordinator
can also function as the labor compliance program administrator, which will be required on the
WRRF Project to satisfy the requirements of outside funding sources. It is assumed the City will
hire an outside contractor to serve as the Project Labor Coordinator if a PLA is negotiated.
PLAs include provisions for the establishment of a Joint Administrative Committee (JAC,
Committee) comprised of representatives from the owner and representatives from the building
trades. The JAC meets regularly to discuss issues associated with the PLA including project
issues, safety concerns, contractor relations, and disputes. The frequency of the JAC meetings is
left to the discretion of the Committee, but meetings are typically held on a quarterly basis. It is
anticipated that the City’s representatives on the JAC will include City Utilities Department staff
and representatives from the WRRF Project Program Management Team.
The City can require the construction contractor to retain the services of a Jobs Coordinator to
assist the contractor in meeting its obligations for targeted worker participation. The Jobs
Coordinator coordinates with the construction trades, apprenticeship programs, and local
workforce development agencies to identify potential workers that meet the criteria necessary to
qualify as a targeted worker for employment on the covered project. The Jobs Coordinator
assists the contractor in the preparation of reports including targeted worker hiring status reports
and manpower utilization plans. It is anticipated that the contractor will retain the services of an
outside consultant to serve as its Jobs Coordinator.
Table 1 below details the estimated costs for PLA implementation and administration for the
WRRF Project.
Table 1.PLA Implementation and Administration Cost Estimate
RESOURCE LowHighLowHighLowHigh
Utilities Department 2,181$3,444$ 574$ 574$2,985$4,362$
City Attorney 2,387$6,510$ 651$ 651$ 217$ 434$
Outside Counsel 20,400$51,600$7,800$12,600$1,200$2,400$
Design Engineer $8,904$11,130$
Program Management 9,760$20,496$4,880$7,320$33,672$51,728$
Project Labor Coordinator $119,660$176,390$
Jobs Coordinator $79,000$ 100,500$
SUBTOTAL 34,728$82,050$22,809$32,275$236,734$335,814$
PLA Negotiation
Contract Document
Development
PLA Administration
TASK
The total cost for PLA implementation and administration is estimated to cost between $294,271
and $450,139. The cost estimate assumes that the Project Labor Coordinator will also serve as
the administrator of the WRRF Project labor compliance program. Fifty percent of the total cost
of the Project Labor Coordinator has been assigned to PLA administration and the remaining
fifty percent of the cost has been assigned to labor compliance. Consequently, the total cost of
labor compliance and PLA administration is estimated to range between approximately $259,543
Item 13
Packet Pg. 187Packet Pg. 465
Item 14
and $368,069. If the City does not move forward with a PLA, it will still need to implement a
labor compliance program to satisfy outside funding requirements at a cost of approximately
120,000 to $177,000.
Alternative Local Hire Approaches
If the Council’s primary objective in pursuing a PLA is advancing local hire and economic
development objectives, there are other alternatives that can be considered and implemented via
contractual clauses in the bid documents. A good example of such provisions can be found in
the Alameda County General Services Agency contract for the Cherryland Community Center,
which included an “Enhanced Construction Outreach Program” that set goals for participation
and required the contractor to demonstrate enhanced efforts to engage small and local business
enterprises and other, historically disadvantaged groups, to perform project work (see
https://www.acgov.org/gsa/purchasing/bidContent_ftp/rfpDocs/1856_0_002219ECOP.pdf ). A
paper done for the League of California Cities has also been included in the Council reading file
and provides a detailed overview of the legal parameters and practical landscape around local
hire and purchase provisions, highlighting what is and is not legally permissible regarding local
hire preferences outside the PLA context. An effective program would need to incorporate
compliance documentation and monitoring provisions, which could also be incorporated into the
bid documents, so that bidders could factor any costs associated with such provisions into their
bid packages and progress toward objectives could be tracked. The development of the
contractual provisions would be done by project staff and consultants and would not require
negotiations with third parties or third-party compliance monitoring.
CONCURRENCES
The purpose of a Study Session is for informal discussions between staff, advisory bodies,
consultants, the public, and the City Council regarding specific programs, projects or policies.
Council may provide direction, but no formal action to approve the inclusion of a PLA into the
bid package for the WRRF project will be taken during a Study Session. Study Sessions may be
conducted in a variety of formats, including Public Workshops. Should Council direct staff to
move forward with negotiation of a PLA program, all Departments would be engaged in the
development and review of any program, which would be subject to final Council approval.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
There is no project subject to environmental review associated with the discussion and possible
negotiation of a PLA. Nothing related to the negotiation of a PLA affects otherwise applicable
environmental review of the WRRF project, which is in compliance with all applicable
requirements.
Item 13
Packet Pg. 188Packet Pg. 466
Item 14
FISCAL IMPACT
The likely fiscal impact of the inclusion of a PLA for the WRRF Project is not precisely
quantifiable, but preliminary anticipated cost impacts have been included in the cost section
above.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Direct staff to proceed with the negotiation of a PLA for inclusion with the bid package for the
WRRF, including local hiring preference components.
2. Direct staff to include provisions for local outreach and/or incentives for local hire in contract
documents, consistent with applicable legal limitations.
3.Direct staff to proceed with preparation of bid package without additional local outreach of
hire provisions.
Attachments:
a - Council Reading File - Binder of PLA Information
b - Council Reading File - League of CA Cities Paper on Local Hiring and Purchasing
Preferences
c - Council Reading File - Example Local Outreach Provisions for Contracts
Item 13
Packet Pg. 189Packet Pg. 467
Item 14
Page intentionally left
blank.
Packet Pg. 190
Item13Item13
Packet Pg. 468
Item 14
7/10/2018
1
Water Resource Recovery
Facility Project
Project Labor Agreement
City Council Study Session – July 10, 2018
Recommendation
Receive a report on the potential use of a
Project Labor Agreement (PLA) in
connection with the City's WRRF Project
and provide direction to staff whether to
proceed with negotiation of an Agreement.
2
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 469
Item 14
7/10/2018
2
PLA Defined
3
A Project Labor Agreement (PLA) is a pre-
hire collective bargaining agreement
between a project owner and the
construction trades. The agreement
establishes the terms and conditions of
employment for the covered project. Also
known as community workforce agreement,
project stabilization agreement, and
community partnership agreement.
City Council Previous Direction
April 17, 2018: Staff report on contractor
prequalification for the WRRF Project was pulled from
the consent calendar for discussion.
Public comment regarding local hiring and a PLA
was heard.
City Council directed staff to explore an agreement
which includes a local contracting preference or
incentive component.
4
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 470
Item 14
7/10/2018
3
Study Session Objective
Review potential options for
incorporating a local hiring preference for
the WRRF Project including a PLA or
other contract terms.
5
Mission
Deliver a Water Resource Recovery
Facility in partnership with
stakeholders that provides economic,
social and environmental value to our
community
Vision
Create a community asset that is
recognized as supporting health, well-
being and quality of life
WRRF Project Charter - 2014
6
JP2
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 471
Item 14
Slide 6
JP2 Boiler plate slides from all WRRF presentations, not sure we want to spend time here.
Justin Pickard, 7/5/2018
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 472
Item 14
7/10/2018
4
New NPDES Permit
Aging Infrastructure
Maximizing Reuse
Treatment Capacity
One Water
Project Drivers
7
Time Schedule Order (TSO)
November 30, 2019
Project Update - Funding
8
1. State Revolving Fund (SRF) Low Interest
Loan
2. California Office of Emergency Services
CalOES) Funding
3. Strategic Growth Council Funding
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 473
Item 14
7/10/2018
5
Project Update - Process
9
1. Contractor Prequalification
2. Construction Manager Procurement
review note: this bid process did not
contemplate a PLA and would require a contract
amendment if direction is given to go forward
with a PLA)
3. 95% Design Submittal
Next Steps
10
Identify Prequalified Contractors July 2018
Select Construction Manager September 2018
Finalize Design December 2018
Issue Bid Advertisement January 2019
Award Construction Contract April 2019
Begin Construction May 2019
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 474
Item 14
7/10/2018
6
Current Schedule
11
Comparison of Provisions
12
Provision Current City
Contract
Modified City
Contract With Local
Hire Preference
PLA
1. Local Hire /
Targeted Worker
Participation
DBE Outreach,
Apprentice
Utilization
Local, At-Risk,
Veteran, Others (to
be determined by
City), Apprentices
Local, At-Risk,
Veteran, Others (to
be determined by
City), Apprentices
2. Hiring Procedures Subject to Contractor Discretion Union Referral, Core
Worker Limits
3. Wages and
Benefits
Prevailing Wage Prevailing Wage,
Fringes to Union
Trust (all contractors)
4. Management
Rights
No Restrictions No Restrictions
5. Work Stoppages No Contractual Language; No Ability to
Restrict
Prohibited
6. Dispute
Resolution
Partnering, Public Contract Code, Labor
Compliance
The Plan”
jurisdictional
issues),Arbitration
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 475
Item 14
7/10/2018
7
Local Hire Preference Example
13
Local Hire - The Applicant shall make all efforts to employ local hire
permanent residents within San Luis Obispo County, including hiring
priority given to residents with County zip codes), with adequate
experience and qualifications, during construction and operations to the
extent possible. To this end, the Applicant shall work with the local unions
and local job fairs, as well as advertise widely in the San Luis Obispo
County media, to promote available positions. Within 60 days of project
approval, or such later time as approved by the County, the Applicant shall
create and mail a flyer to local residents within 3 miles of the project site
describing the types of union and non-union jobs, as well as contact
information on how to pursue employment of those jobs relating to
construction of the project.
From San Luis Obispo County SunPower Project:
Comparison of Provisions
14
Provision Current City
Contract
Modified City
Contract With Local
Hire Preference
PLA
1. Local Hire /
Targeted Worker
Participation
DBE Outreach,
Apprentice
Utilization
Local, At-Risk,
Veteran, Others (to
be determined by
City), Apprentices
Local, At-Risk,
Veteran, Others (to
be determined by
City), Apprentices
2. Hiring Procedures Subject to Contractor Discretion Union Referral, Core
Worker Limits
3. Wages and
Benefits
Prevailing Wage Prevailing Wage,
Fringes to Union
Trust (all contractors)
4. Management
Rights
No Restrictions No Restrictions
5. Work Stoppages No Contractual Language; No Ability to
Restrict
Prohibited
6. Dispute
Resolution
Partnering, Public Contract Code, Labor
Compliance
The Plan”
jurisdictional
issues),Arbitration
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 476
Item 14
7/10/2018
8
Current City Contract Modified City Contract With
Local Hire Preference PLA
Benefits
No schedule impact • Local worker participation
goals established
No schedule impact
Broad discretion for other
workforce goals
Local worker participation
goals established
Work stoppages
prohibited
Costs
No additional cost • Local hire program
administration cost
Potential for increased
construction cost
Contract language
development cost
Negotiation costs
PLA administration costs
Potential for increased
construction cost
Risks
Potential for reduced
local worker
participation
Potential for work
stoppage
Potential for work
stoppage
Potential for prolonged
bid review & award
Potential delay to CM
procurement
Potential for reduced local
contractor participation
Potential construction
schedule delay
Potential Risks, Costs & Benefits
15
Negotiation Schedule
16
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 477
Item 14
7/10/2018
9
Implementation Cost Estimate
17
Total LCP + PLA Cost: $294,000 - $450,000
118,000 -
173,000
176,000 -
277,000+
Questions for City Council Direction
Yes No
A. Is City Council Interested in Implementing a Local Hire Preference for
WRRF?
B. If yes, above, should Staff Pursue:
1. A Local Hire Preference Contract?
2. A PLA?
C. What are City Council’s Key Objectives?
1. Local worker participation?
2. Local contractor participation?
3. Other objectives?
D. If yes to B.2., what are City Council’s Key Considerations for PLA
Negotiation?
1. Project schedule?
2. QA/QC exemption?
3. Core worker limitations?
4. Equivalent benefits provisions?
5. Exemption for subcontractors with limited scope?
18
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 478
Item 14
7/10/2018
10
slowrrfproject.org
Questions?
Potential Options for Council Direction
20
1. Direct staff to proceed with the negotiation of a PLA for inclusion with the bid
package for the WRRF, including local hiring preference components.
a. A PLA shall be negotiated by October 12, 2018 and incorporate the PLA
agreement and requirements into WRRF bid documents and return to the City
Council for approval.
b. If a PLA is not negotiated by October 12, 2018, direct staff to proceed with
incorporating local hire preference requirements into WRRF bid documents and
return to the City Council for approval.
c. Direct staff to pursue contract provisions to directly or indirectly control schedule,
cost, and quality.
2. Direct staff to include provisions for local outreach and/or incentives for local hire in
contract documents, consistent with applicable legal limitations into WRRF bid
documents using similar models for guidance, such as but not limited to the
Alameda model” into bid documents.
3. Direct staff to proceed with preparation of bid package without additional local
outreach of hire provisions into WRRF bid documents.
4. Direct staff to prepare a work program item to consider local hire or PLA
requirements for future public works projects as part of the 2019-2021 Financial
Plan.
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 479
Item 14
7/10/2018
11
Comparison of Provisions
21
Provision Current City
Contract
Modified City
Contract With Local
Hire Preference
PLA
1. Local Hire /
Targeted Worker
Participation
DBE Outreach,
Apprentice
Utilization
Local, At-Risk,
Veteran, Others (to
be determined by
City), Apprentices
Local, At-Risk,
Veteran, Others (to
be determined by
City), Apprentices
2. Hiring Procedures Subject to Contractor Discretion Union Referral, Core
Worker Limits
3. Wages and
Benefits
Prevailing Wage Prevailing Wage,
Fringes to Union
Trust (all contractors)
4. Management
Rights
No Restrictions No Restrictions
5. Work Stoppages No Contractual Language; No Ability to
Restrict
Prohibited
6. Dispute
Resolution
Partnering, Public Contract Code, Labor
Compliance
The Plan”
jurisdictional
issues),Arbitration
Staff Presentation - Item 13
Packet Pg. 480
Item 14
LOCAL BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
GOOD FAITH EFFORT
OUTREACH REQUIREMENTS
(WRRF UPGRADE PROJECT)
Specification No.: ____________
1. POLICY.
The City of San Luis Obispo’s Local Business Enterprise Outreach and Opportunities
Program (LBEP) is designed to maximize participation of diverse, qualified, local
contractors, consultants, and material suppliers seeking to do business on City of San Luis
Obispo projects. Effective implementation of LBEP is a requirement of the project and
award of a contract will be determined, in part, by the Contractor’s demonstrated good faith
efforts in conducting effective outreach to local contractors. Failure to comply with the
requirements herein shall render the bid as non-responsive.
2. DEFINITIONS.
(a) For the purposes of this program, a Local Business Enterprise (“LBE”) means a
business that is a firm or dealer with fixed offices located in and having a street address
within the County of San Luis Obispo and holds a valid business license issued by
either the County or a city within the County for at least six months prior to the date
upon which a request for sealed bids or proposals is issued.
(b) Vendor/Material Supplier: An individual, partnership, corporation or other legal entity
that provides equipment, materials or supplies under an executed contract.
(c) Written Communication: Any handwritten or typed correspondence delivered by e-
mail, fax, or U.S. mail.
(e) Outreach Forms:
(1) Schedule A-1, Designation of All Subcontractors/Vendors/Service Providers
(2) Schedule A-2, Subcontracting Opportunities and Contact Log
3. OUTREACH RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE CITY.
(a) Outreach materials provided by the City shall be the primary source of outreach activity.
Contractors are encouraged to supplement but not replace the City provided materials.
City-provided outreach materials include:
(1) LBEP List: This list shall be used as the primary source for outreach activity
and consists of potential subcontractors and vendors/material suppliers specific to
the project.
Packet Pg. 481
Item 14
a. The bidder will use the LBEP List through the following website: [need
to create website based on RFQ].
b. For each category of work identified by the bidder as a subcontracting
opportunity in schedule A-2, the bidder will contact each LBE listed and
shall comply with the outreach requirements in Section 4 below.
4. OUTREACH ACTIVITY REQUIREMENTS AND EVIDENCE OF FULFILLMENT.
(a) The bidder shall conduct pre-bid outreach activities to provide equal opportunity to all
firms, including LBEs, to participate on the project. Outreach solicitations shall occur prior
to submission of the bid to be considered good faith outreach efforts. The following table
outlines the outreach activity requirements and evidence of fulfillment. Outreach activities
identified with an “M” on the left hand column are mandatory outreach efforts; outreach
activities identified with a “R” are strongly recommended, but are not mandatory:
Outreach Activity Requirements
Description
M Identify Work that can be Subcontracted.
Evidence of Fulfillment:
(i) Complete and submit Schedule A-2 by entering:
• A description of each item of work solicited from subcontractors;
• Estimated cost of work, materials or services;
• Percent of total fee; and
• Whether or not a subcontractor or vendor was selected, and the reason
for selection/non-selection.
M Notify firms on LBEP List of subcontracting opportunities for each category listed
on Schedule A-2.
• Notifications must occur no fewer than 14 calendar days prior to the bid
due date. One contact must be written (mail, email, or fax) and one contact
must be verbal (telephone or personal meeting).
• Notification shall name the City as project owner; identify work
available to subcontractors; bid due date; contact information including
but not limited to telephone number, e-mail and name of contact; and, all
available times and locations where plans, specifications and bid
documents can be viewed or copied.
Evidence of Fulfillment
(i) Provide copies of letter and written communication (including e-mail or fax) sent
to firms on the LBEP List. If other sources were identified by the bidder, provide
copies of letter and written communication (including email or fax) on those other
sources.
Packet Pg. 482
Item 14
(ii) Complete and submit Schedule A-2 to document contact with small contractors,
including:
• Name and title of each person contacted;
• Fax, e-mail, and phone number of the company;
• Whether the firm submitted a bid to the contractor, and
• If bid submitted to contractor, reason the firm was not selected to work
on the project.
M
The bidder negotiated in good faith with the LBEs and did not unjustifiably reject
as unsatisfactory bids prepared by any LBEs as determined by City.
Evidence of Fulfillment:
• Copies or list of all bids and a spreadsheet listing all bids with firm name,
contact person, bid items(s), bid price, LBE classification, and comments re-
selection or rejection
• LBE bids accepted and included in bid response
R
The bidder advertised, not less than ten (10) calendar days before the date the bids
are opened, in one or more local daily or weekly newspapers, trade association
publications, minority or trade-oriented publications, or trade journals for LBEs that
are interested in participating in the project.
Evidence of Fulfillment:
• Copy of advertisements, certified letters, successfully completed faxes
and/or other notices to LBEs with selected specific items identified.
R
The bidder followed up initial solicitations of interest by contacting the enterprises
to determine with certainty whether the enterprises were interested in performing
specific items of the project.
Evidence of Fulfillment:
• Copy of published advertisements, letters, successfully completed faxes, etc.
with LBE name/contact information including the required information or
directions on how to obtain it and the date the information was provided
• Agenda, meeting notes, etc. including specific topics discussed, LBE firm
names and contact persons in attendance that received information, and the
location and date information was provided
5. OUTREACH RESULTS: REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
Upon completion of the outreach activity requirements and as requested by the City, bidders shall
submit the following items no later than the close of two business days after the bid opening.
Packet Pg. 483
Item 14
Within two (2) days of written request from the City, the two responsible bidders with the lowest
responsive bids must submit to the Project Manager the following:
Required Forms Included
Completed Schedule A-1.
Completed Schedule A-2
Letters of Intent to all Subcontractors
Evidence of Contact with LBEs on the LBEP List (examples: dated
e-mail, fax or letter).
Evidence of Fulfillment information described in Section 4 above.
6. SUBCONTRACTOR SUBSTITUTION.
(a) Written authorization from the City is required prior to substitution of any subcontractor.
Subcontractors may be substituted based on the criteria below:
(1) For any reason stated in California Public Contract Code Section 4107 which are
incorporated herein.
(2) For reasons, which the City in its judgment, deems to be in the best interests of
the City, except where prohibited by law.
7. AWARD OF AGREEMENT.
The Contractor’s good faith outreach efforts will be reviewed by the City’s Director of Utilities or
his/her designee, prior to the award of a contract, to determine whether good faith outreach efforts
requirements, if applicable, were met.
8. POST-AWARD MONITORING.
(a) To ensure compliance with Contractor stated commitments, the City will monitor
subcontracting activity throughout the duration of the contract. To comply with post-award
monitoring the bidder shall:
(1) Ensure that subcontractors and suppliers perform the type of work and the
quantity of work as specified in Schedule A-1.
(2) Provide the City with any additional reports, subcontracts, or other information
deemed necessary for determining Contractor’s compliance with its subcontracting
commitment.
(3) Maintain all reports and corresponding information for a period of no less than
three years after the completion of the project, or until such time a program audit
has been completed on the project by the City, whichever occurs first.
9. LBEP NONCOMPLIANCE.
(a) Failure by the Contractor to fulfill any of the Program guidelines constitutes breach of a
contractual obligation and may result in City-imposed sanctions on the Contractor. Upon
Packet Pg. 484
Item 14
determining that a Contractor is not in compliance with Program guidelines, the City may seek,
without limitations, the following remedies:
(1) Withholding progress payments until the City deems the Contractor to be in
compliance.
(2) Withholding an amount equal to the unmet portion of the amount contracted to
the subcontractor, vendor, or supplier in question.
Packet Pg. 485
Item 14
Page intentionally left
blank.
Packet Pg. 486
Item 14
Water Resource Recovery November 13, 2018Community Workforce Agreement Facility Project
Recommendation 2 Project, subject to approval by all affiliates.for the Water Resource Recovery Facility The Signatory Craft Councils and Unions CIO and -Construction Trades Council,
AFLCounties Building and -with The Tria final form approved by the City Attorney Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) in Authorize the City Manager to enter into a
City Council Previous Direction 3 quality or schedule and do not significantly increase costs.c. Pursue contract provisions that do not adversely affect project WRRF bid documents and
return to the City Council for approval. incorporating enhanced local hire outreach requirements into b. If a CWA is not negotiated by October 12, 2018, proceed with established project
bidding schedule. and return to the City Council for approval, maintaining the CWA agreement and requirements into the WRRF bid documents a. CWA shall be negotiated by October 12, 2018
to incorporate the for the WRRF, including local hiring preference components. Proceed with the negotiation of a CWA for inclusion with the bid package staff at the conclusion of deliberations:publi
c works projects. City Council provided the following direction to considerations associated with Community Workforce Agreements on Study session held to gain understanding of the –July
10, 2018
CWA Defined partnership agreement.stabilization agreement, or community known as project labor agreement, project Also employment for the covered project.establishes the terms and conditions
of construction trades.between a project owner and the hire collective bargaining agreement -is a preCommunity Workforce Agreement (CWA) A 4
Key Objectives 5 schedule and budgetMaintain WRRF Project quality, •workers and local contractorsMaximize opportunities for local •
Key Negotiating Points Benefits•Apprentices•Construction inspection•Core employees•Local worker participation•6
Implementation Cost Estimate$498,000-Total LCP and CWA Cost: $326,000 $274,000-$180,000 $224,000-$146,000 CWA AdministrationLabor Compliance Program AssentCompile Letters of •VerificationCore
Worker •Worker ParticipationMonitor Local •Dispute Resolution•Union Coordination•Audits•Job Site Interviews•UtilizationApprentice •VerificationFringe Benefit •ReviewCertified Payroll
•DeterminationPrevailing Wage •Enforcement•ComplianceFederal Labor •SourcesReports to Funding •AgenciesReports to State •7
slowrrfproject.org Questions?
Current City Contract 9 Potential Risks, Costs & Benefits delayPotential construction schedule •local contractor participationunion -Potential for reduced non•goalsnotwithstanding established
local workers absent a CWA, Union contractors cannot prefer •review & awardPotential for prolonged bid •Potential for work stoppage•stoppagePotential for work •worker participationPotential
for reduced local •Risksconstruction cost••Negotiation costs•costContract language development •construction cost•administration costLocal hire program •No additional cost•CostsWork
stoppages prohibited•not be permittedworkers, which otherwise would contractor to prefer local Provides authority for union •worker participation and trainingpotential of increased
local established and monitored, and Local worker participation goals •workforce goalsBroad discretion for other •No schedule impact•establishedLocal worker participation goals •No
schedule impact•BenefitsAgreementCommunity Workforce Hire PreferenceModified City Contract with Local