This Amendment changes when a contract relating to a public works project for a school district is required to have a project labor agreement as follows: • Increases the minimum aggregate cost of the public works project from $1 million to $5 million.

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Amendment to Increase Cost Threshold for School District Public Works Projects

This amendment raises the cost threshold for school district public works projects that require project labor agreements from $1 million to $5 million and changes how bids are counted.

What This Bill Does

• Increases the minimum total cost of a public works project for a school district from $1 million to $5 million before requiring a project labor agreement.
• Requires at least two bids from businesses with collective bargaining agreements with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council for the requirement to apply.

Who It Names or Affects

• School districts in Delaware
• Businesses bidding on public works contracts for school districts

Terms To Know

Project Labor Agreement (PLA)

An agreement between a contractor and labor unions that sets terms for hiring workers on construction projects.

Collective Bargaining Agreement

An agreement made through negotiations between employers and a group of employees, usually represented by a labor union.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if there are fewer than two bids from businesses with collective bargaining agreements.
• It is unclear how this change will affect the number of projects requiring project labor agreements in practice.

Official Summary Text

This Amendment changes when a contract relating to a public works project for a school district is required to have a project labor agreement as follows:
• Increases the minimum aggregate cost of the public works project from $1 million to $5 million.
• Instead of exempting contracts if there was only 1 bid for the craft, the requirement to have a project labor agreement only applies if 2 or more bids for the craft are from a business legally bound to a collective bargaining agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council.

Current Bill Text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Walsh

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

SENATE BILL NO. 272

AMEND Senate Bill No. 272 by deleting lines 15 through 19 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“

(a) A contract relating to a public works project under this chapter must include a project labor agreement if all of the following apply:

(1) The public works project is for a school district.

(2) The aggregate cost of the public works project is $5 million or more.

(3) Two or more bids for the craft under the contract are from a business legally bound to a collective bargaining agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council.

”.

SYNOPSIS

This Amendment changes when a contract relating to a public works project for a school district is required to have a project labor agreement as follows:

• Increases the minimum aggregate cost of the public works project from $1 million to $5 million.

• Instead of exempting contracts if there was only 1 bid for the craft, the requirement to have a project labor agreement only applies if 2 or more bids for the craft are from a business legally bound to a collective bargaining agreement with the Delaware Building and Construction Trades Council.

Author: Senator Walsh