Connecticut 2011 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00987 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
OldNewDifferences
11 General Assembly Raised Bill No. 987
22 January Session, 2011 LCO No. 3472
33 *03472_______LAB*
44 Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees
55 Introduced by:
66 (LAB)
77
88 General Assembly
99
1010 Raised Bill No. 987
1111
1212 January Session, 2011
1313
1414 LCO No. 3472
1515
1616 *03472_______LAB*
1717
1818 Referred to Committee on Labor and Public Employees
1919
2020 Introduced by:
2121
2222 (LAB)
2323
2424 AN ACT REQUIRING COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENTS FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AT THE CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM.
2525
2626 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
2727
2828 Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2011) (a) For the purposes of sections 1 and 2 of this act:
2929
3030 (1) "Apprenticeship program" means a registered apprenticeship program providing to each trainee combined classroom and on-the-job training under the direct and close supervision of a highly skilled worker in an occupation recognized as an apprenticeable trade, and registered by the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training of the United States Department of Labor and meeting the standards established by the bureau or registered by a state apprenticeship agency recognized by the bureau;
3131
3232 (2) "Labor organization" has the same meaning as in section 31-77 of the general statutes;
3333
3434 (3) "Community workforce agreement" means a form of prehire collective bargaining agreement covering terms and conditions of a specific project;
3535
3636 (4) "Connecticut State University System" has the same meaning as in section 10a-1 of the general statutes; and
3737
3838 (5) "Department" means the Department of Public Works.
3939
4040 (b) On or after January 1, 2012, the Department of Public Works may require a community workforce agreement be executed for any construction contract at a Connecticut State University System college where the prevailing rate of wages are required to be paid pursuant to section 31-53 of the general statutes, provided the department, taking into consideration the size, complexity and cost of the contract, determines the community workforce agreement will meet the requirements of subsection (d) of this section, including promoting labor stability and advancing the interests of the Connecticut State University System in cost, efficiency, skilled labor force, quality, safety and timeliness. If the department determines that a community workforce agreement will meet those requirements with respect to a particular construction contract, the department shall either: Directly negotiate in good faith a community workforce agreement with one or more labor organizations; or condition the award of a contract to a responsible and qualified bidder upon a requirement that the responsible and qualified bidder negotiate in good faith a community workforce agreement with one or more labor organizations. Upon the request of the department, the Labor Commissioner shall assist in facilitating the negotiation of the community workforce agreement. The decision by the department to require the inclusion of a community workforce agreement shall not be deemed to unduly restrict competition if the department finds that the community workforce agreement is reasonably related to the satisfactory performance and completion of the construction contract, and any bidder for the construction contract refusing to agree to abide by the conditions of the community workforce agreement or the requirement to negotiate a community workforce agreement shall not be regarded as a responsible and qualified bidder, as defined in section 4b-102 of the general statutes. Upon the request of the department, the Commissioner of Labor shall review the finalized community workforce agreement and provide to the department, not more than thirty calendar days after the agreement is submitted to the Labor Commissioner by the department, a written advisory statement regarding whether the community workforce agreement conforms with the provisions of this section.
4141
4242 (c) Any community workforce agreement negotiated pursuant to this section, between the department or a responsible and qualified bidder and one or more labor organizations, shall be binding on all contractors and subcontractors working on the construction contract and may include provisions that permit contractors and subcontractors working on the construction contract to retain a percentage of their current workforce, and provisions that the successful bidder and any subcontractor of the bidder need not be a party to a labor agreement with the labor organizations other than for the construction contract covered by the community workforce agreement.
4343
4444 (d) Each community workforce agreement executed pursuant to the provisions of this section shall:
4545
4646 (1) Advance the interests of the Connecticut State University System, including the interests in cost, efficiency, quality, timeliness, skilled labor force and safety;
4747
4848 (2) Contain guarantees against strikes, lock-outs or other similar actions;
4949
5050 (3) Set forth effective, immediate and mutually-binding procedures for resolving jurisdictional and labor disputes arising before the completion of the work;
5151
5252 (4) Be made binding on all contractors and subcontractors on the public works project through the inclusion of appropriate bid specifications in all relevant bid documents;
5353
5454 (5) Require that each contractor and subcontractor working on the construction contract have an apprenticeship program;
5555
5656 (6) Fully conform to all statutes and regulations regarding the implementation of set-aside goals for women and minority-owned businesses, the obligation to comply with which shall be expressly provided in the community workforce agreement;
5757
5858 (7) Include a plan regarding the shares of employment and apprenticeship positions in the construction contract for minority group members and women which is in full conformance with the requirements of all applicable statutes and regulations and is mutually agreed upon by the participating labor organizations and the Connecticut State University System college which will own the facilities that are built, altered or repaired under the construction contract, provided any shares mutually agreed upon pursuant to this subsection shall equal or exceed the requirements of other statutes and regulations;
5959
6060 (8) Require the construction contract provide whatever resources may be needed to prepare for apprenticeship a number of women and minority members sufficient to enable compliance with the plan agreed upon pursuant to subdivision (7) of this subsection and provide that the use of those resources be administered jointly by the participating labor organizations and the Connecticut State University System college or community-based organizations selected by the Connecticut State University System college; and
6161
6262 (9) Require the department to monitor the amount and share of work done on the project by minority group members and women and the progression of minority group members and women into apprentice and journey worker positions and require the department to make public all records of monitoring conducted pursuant to this subdivision.
6363
6464 Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2011) On or before January 1, 2012, and annually thereafter, the Commissioner of Public Works shall submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to labor and higher education on the effectiveness of the community workforce agreements in meeting the objectives set forth in subsection (d) of section 1 of this act. Such report shall include recommendations for administrative or legislative action needed to improve the community workforce agreement requirement for construction contracts for the Connecticut State University System.
6565
6666
6767
6868
6969 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
7070 Section 1 October 1, 2011 New section
7171 Sec. 2 October 1, 2011 New section
7272
7373 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
7474
7575 Section 1
7676
7777 October 1, 2011
7878
7979 New section
8080
8181 Sec. 2
8282
8383 October 1, 2011
8484
8585 New section
8686
8787 Statement of Purpose:
8888
8989 To require the Department of Public Works to require a community workforce agreement be executed in conjunction with all construction contracts for projects on Connecticut State University System campuses, where the prevailing rate of wages is triggered.
9090
9191 [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]