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File Number: 15-347 <br />jurisdictions as a Project Labor Agreement or PLA) is a contract between a public agency and <br />the respective building and construction trades groups or unions within the jurisdiction of the <br />public agency that governs, among other things, the role of organized construction trades <br />unions in the execution of a public agency’s projects. This issue relates to the City Council’s <br />goals because it will impact the process for completing major expenditures within the City’s <br />budget, the role that local businesses and employees play in that process, and ongoing efforts <br />to enhance and maintain the City’s infrastructure. <br />Based on direction from the City Council in summer 2014, staff initiated discussions with the <br />BTC to explore policy options related to the implementation of a CWA. Staff also held <br />discussions with numerous stakeholder groups including local San Leandro businesses, the <br />San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, and multiple business associations. Through this <br />process, staff encountered strong opinions both for and against the City’s potential adoption <br />of a Community Workforce Agreement. The primary arguments in favor of a CWA are that it <br />will ensure labor peace on City projects, which assists in delivering projects on time and on <br />budget, and that it promotes the payment and provision of quality wages and benefits for the <br />employees who work on such projects. The primary argument in opposition is that a CWA <br />puts non-union contractors at a disadvantage in competing for City projects. <br />The City Council held a Work Session on February 10, 2015 to review an assessment of <br />policy options from staff and to gather feedback from stakeholders. At that Work Session, the <br />City Council expressed a desire to move forward with a CWA and requested that specific <br />policy considerations be explored in further detail at the City Council Committee level. <br />Specifically, the City Council requested Committee consideration of three issues: <br />1. The appropriate minimum threshold for projects to fall under the CWA; <br />2. The specific language and procedures governing the ability of non-union contractors to <br />use their existing, or “core,” workforce; and <br />3. How the City would account for the costs and time required to provide appropriate <br />outreach, implementation, and monitoring of a CWA. <br />Analysis <br />Review of Community Workforce Agreements and Project Labor Agreements from <br />other Agencies <br />Staff compiled and reviewed comparable agreements from other Bay Area public agencies. <br />Staff identified two Bay Area cities -- Berkeley and Martinez -- that adopted community <br />workforce agreements or project labor policies. Additionally, staff reviewed policies adopted or <br />agreements approved by Alameda County, the San Leandro Unified School District, the Port <br />of Oakland and the Hayward Unified School District. <br />As a starting point for discussions with the Building and Construction Trades Council of <br />Alameda County, staff and the Trades Council used the City of Berkeley’s Community <br />Workforce Agreement as a model. A draft CWA was presented at the February 10, 2015 <br />Work Session and subsequently to the Finance Committee on March 17, 2015. <br />The basic provisions of the agreement are as follows: <br />Page 2 City of San Leandro Printed on 6/9/2015