The Plymouth Township Council voted on January 23, 2012 to repeal its previously adopted "responsible bidding" ordinance that required all public works exceeding $25,000 be performed only by contractors with an approved apprenticeship program.
Quality of Work or Union Favoritism? The Pennsylvania town originally had approved the ordinance to help ensure qualified workers on public projects. Some, however, charged that the requirements, favored union contractors. With the Council now controlled by Republicans, the ordinance adopted when Democrats had a Council majority, was repealed.
Project Delays: Council Chairman Sheldon Simpson, speaking in favor of the repeal noted that "We've heard people testify that they cannot get an apprenticeship unless they are in a union. And now, we can't wait more than 30 days, in order to keep the project rolling."
More Information:
- Click here to read a news article from The Times Herald on the repeal of the apprenticeship requirement.
- Click here to read the minutes of the Council meeting from July 12, 2010 when the original ordinance was adopted. These minutes include comments from the public who testified about the ordinance.
Washington State Apprenticeship Requirements: In Washington state, RCW 39.04.320 requires that certain public agencies must require contractors to use 15% of the labor hours on public works projects over $1 million with apprentices enrolled in a state approved apprenticeship training program. The agencies under this requirement are
- State Department of Enterprise Services (formerly General Administration)
- Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
- All school districts
- All institutions of higher education
Mike Purdy's Public Contracting Blog© 2012 by Michael E. Purdy Associates, LLChttp://PublicContracting.blogspot.com
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