Update on Apprenticeship Legislation

I will be in Olympia this afternoon testifying against SB 5873 that would impose mandatory apprenticeship utilization requirements on public works projects over $1 million for institutions of higher education.

The bill would also require that WSDOT, state agencies, and school districts (already covered by these requirements) meet the percentages by each trade or craft, effectively eliminating the ability of non-union contractors to bid on these public works projects.