State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ House Amendment 001 ]


92_HB0644

 
                                               LRB9206584WHtm

 1        AN ACT in relation to apprentice programs.

 2        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 5    Apprentice Equity Act.

 6        Section  5.  Statement of policy. It is the policy of the
 7    State of Illinois to ensure  full  and  equitable  employment
 8    opportunities  for  minorities  and  females  in the building
 9    trades  on  all  State  construction  contracts.    Lack   of
10    employment  opportunities  for  minorities and females in the
11    building trades impedes economic development and  contributes
12    to  the social ills of Illinois residents.  Federal and State
13    regulations prohibit discrimination because of  race,  color,
14    religion,  sex, or national origin in employment and training
15    programs.     The  State  is  committed  to   ensuring   that
16    minorities   and  females  are  provided  apprenticeship  and
17    self-improvement opportunities  in  the  building  trades  on
18    State  construction  contracts  to  assist in their increased
19    employment in the building trades.

20        Section 10.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
21        "Minority" has the definition contained in Section 10  of
22    the State Employment Records Act.
23        "Apprentice  program"  means an apprentice program in the
24    building  trades  that  is  authorized  by  the   Bureau   of
25    Apprenticeship Training of the U.S. Department of Labor.
26        "Apprentice"   means   a  participant  in  an  apprentice
27    program.
28        "Apprentice plan" means  a  written  description  of  the
29    manner  in  which each minority or female apprentice shall be
30    used on a project.
 
                            -2-                LRB9206584WHtm
 1        Section 15.  Plan.
 2        (a)  To  facilitate  the  provision   of   apprenticeship
 3    opportunities  for  minorities  and  women  in  the  building
 4    trades, the Director of the Capital Development Board and the
 5    Secretary   of   Transportation   shall   designate  specific
 6    contracts let by the respective agencies  as  subject  to  an
 7    apprentice   plan   promoting  employment  opportunities  for
 8    minorities and women.
 9        (b)  In selecting  contracts  for  participation  in  the
10    apprentice  plan  approved under this Act and in establishing
11    the applicable goals for each selected contract, the Director
12    of  the  Capital  Development  Board  and  the  Secretary  of
13    Transportation shall consider the following criteria:
14             (1)  The nature of a project to ensure that  it  has
15        the    potential   for   providing   effective   training
16        opportunities within the applicable apprentice program.
17             (2)  The duration of the  contract,  work  schedules
18        for  project  completion, and labor intensiveness of work
19        areas.
20             (3)  The magnitude or dollar amount of the contract.
21             (4)  The scope of work to be performed.
22             (5)  The total normal building trade work force that
23        the average low bidder could be expected to use.
24             (6)  The ratio of apprentices to journeymen that  it
25        would  be  feasible  for the average low bidder to use as
26        part  of  the  contractor's  work  force  during   normal
27        operations,  including  the consideration of the relevant
28        provisions  of  any  applicable   collective   bargaining
29        agreement.
30        (c)  For   each   designated   contract  subject  to  the
31    apprentice plan approved under this Act, the Director of  the
32    Capital  Development Board or the Secretary of Transportation
33    shall establish goals for the number of minority  and  female
34    apprentices in the building trades to be assigned work on the
 
                            -3-                LRB9206584WHtm
 1    contract, expressed in terms of hours of assigned work, 1,000
 2    hours being equivalent to approximately 6 months of full-time
 3    employment.   The  bidder  shall  commit to the employment of
 4    minority and female apprentices on the contract equal  to  or
 5    greater  than  each  of  the  applicable  goals. In employing
 6    minority  and  female  apprentices,  the  bidder  shall  give
 7    preference to minority and female apprentices who are already
 8    participants in an apprentice program.
 9        (d)  If the  bidder  finds  it  impossible  to  meet  the
10    established goals after consulting with the appropriate labor
11    organization  or joint apprenticeship training committee, the
12    bidder may seek a waiver from the  Director  of  the  Capital
13    Development   Board    or  the  Secretary  of  Transportation
14    accompanied  by  such  documentation  as  requested  by   the
15    Director of the Capital Development Board or the Secretary of
16    Transportation,  as  applicable,  that  sufficient  qualified
17    minorities  and females to meet the goals were unavailable in
18    the county in which the work is to be performed, despite  the
19    bidder's  making  all reasonable good faith efforts in hiring
20    minorities and females for  the  apprentice  positions.   The
21    Director of the Capital Development Board or the Secretary of
22    Transportation,  as  applicable, may grant the waiver request
23    upon the determination that sufficient  qualified  minorities
24    and   females   are  not  available  for  employment  in  the
25    applicable apprentice plans to  meet  the  established  goals
26    despite  the  good  faith  efforts  of  the bidder to recruit
27    minorities  and  females  or   that   applicable   collective
28    bargaining agreement provisions would prohibit the employment
29    of  apprentices  on the project to the extent required by the
30    established goals.
31        (e)  Whenever  a  bidder's  contractor   subcontracts   a
32    portion  of  the  work  involving any construction trade, the
33    subcontractor shall be subject, with subcontracts  in  excess
34    of  $10,000,  to the same goals for hiring minority and women
 
                            -4-                LRB9206584WHtm
 1    apprentices applicable to the contractor, unless the Director
 2    of  the  Capital  Development  Board  or  the  Secretary   of
 3    Transportation,  as  applicable,  grants  the subcontractor a
 4    partial or total waiver of the established goals.
 5        (f)  Within  10  days  following  the  approval  of   the
 6    contractor's  required  bond,  the contractor shall submit to
 7    the  Director  of  the  Capital  Development  Board  or   the
 8    Secretary  of  Transportation,  as  applicable, a copy of the
 9    plan  for  using  minority  and  female  apprentices  on  the
10    project, including the number of apprentices to be trained in
11    each selected classification and the corresponding apprentice
12    programs to be used.  If a subcontract is let for  a  portion
13    of the work, the contractor may determine the extent to which
14    apprentices  are  to be trained by the subcontractor, but the
15    contractor  shall  retain  responsibility  for  meeting   the
16    applicable goals or shall submit with its bid a request for a
17    partial or total waiver of the established goals.
18        (g)  A  contractor's  plan  for using minority and female
19    apprentices shall be approved only if it meets the  standards
20    set forth with regard to:
21             (1)  The   primary   objectives   of   training  and
22        upgrading minority and female workers  within  applicable
23        apprentice programs.
24             (2)  Whether   the   classifications   proposed  are
25        appropriate for the  specific  project.   The  character,
26        duration,  and  nature  of  the  project operations shall
27        readily support the proposed apprentice plan.
28        (h)  If the contractor's submission is not acceptable, or
29    if, in the opinion of the Director of the Capital Development
30    Board of the Secretary of Transportation, as applicable,  the
31    character,  duration,  or  nature  of  the project operations
32    cannot support the proposed  apprentice  classification,  the
33    apprentice  plan  shall  not  be  approved.  The contractor's
34    submission shall be returned for correction and resubmission.
 
                            -5-                LRB9206584WHtm
 1        (i)  The contractor shall submit to the Director  of  the
 2    Capital Development Board or the Secretary of Transportation,
 3    as applicable, a monthly report, as specified by the Director
 4    or  Secretary,  detailing  the  use of apprentices during the
 5    prior month.
 6        (j)  When the Director of the Capital  Development  Board
 7    or  the  Secretary  of  Transportation,  as  applicable,  has
 8    determined  that the contractor has failed to comply with any
 9    of  the  apprentice  plan  requirements,  the   Director   or
10    Secretary may notify the contractor of any non-compliance and
11    withhold  up  to 50% of the current progress or final payment
12    due the contractor until it is determined that the contractor
13    is in compliance or that, despite the contractor's making all
14    reasonable good faith efforts,  it  is  unable  to  meet  the
15    established goals.
16        (k)  The contractor shall include all costs of compliance
17    for  the apprentice plan in its bid. The contractor shall not
18    be entitled to any additional compensation from the State for
19    additional costs, delays, or expenses of any kind arising out
20    of or resulting from the implementation of this plan  in  the
21    contract.
22        (l)  Nothing  in  this Act shall be construed or enforced
23    to permit discrimination against any individual on the  basis
24    of  race,  color,  sex,  or  national  origin with respect to
25    employment   or   apprenticeship   opportunities   on   State
26    contracts.
27        (m)  The Director of the Capital  Development  Board  and
28    the  Secretary  of Transportation shall submit, at least once
29    each calendar quarter, a report to the Governor  and  General
30    Assembly  detailing  their  implementation  of the apprentice
31    plan  established  by  this  Act,  and  the   compliance   of
32    contractors with this Act.

33        Section  99.   Effective  date.  This Act takes effect on
 
                            -6-                LRB9206584WHtm
 1    January 1, 2002.

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