Subscriber Discussion

New Law In New Jersey Requiring Prevailing Wage Or Apprenticeship

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Dan Gelinas
•Mar 12, 2019
IPVM

I am gathering information on the new law that passed on January 1, 2019. The law (formerly Assembly Bill 3666). Here's the key sentence:

This bill requires every contract subject to State prevailing wage requirements to require each worker employed under the contract to be enrolled in, or have completed, a registered apprenticeship, unless the contractor or subcontractor certifies that the worker is paid not less than the journeyworker wage rate.

I'm looking into a couple of different things: 

1. The NJ Prevailing Wage Act which governs rates paid to skilled workers was passed in 1963. The purpose of this act is

to establish a prevailing wage level for workmen engaged in public works in order to safeguard their efficiency and general well-being and to protect them as well as their employers from the effects of serious and unfair competition resulting from wage levels detrimental to efficiency and well-being.

2. It looks like the new law just says to follow the Prevailing Wage Act and pay your workers what you're supposed to or prove that they are apprentices in a US Department of Labor-approved apprenticeship program and therefore should be paid at a lower rate.

3. President Trump signed an Executive Order on June 15, 2017, directed the Government to actively expand apprenticeships throughout the country. I am wondering what part the Executive Order might have played in the law being passed in NJ. Part of the charge of the Order was to develop a Task Force on Apprenticeship Expansion:

I am wondering if anyone has any information on the law, or particular first-hand experience with public works jobs and prevailing wage rate in NJ. Please either comment here or email me directly at dan@ipvm.com.

(2)
U
Undisclosed #1
•Mar 12, 2019

Sounds about as frustrating as Washington state technicians cannot work in Oregon state and vice versa.

https://www.lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Electrical/LicenseExamEd/LicenseCert/

vs

https://www.oregon.gov/boli/ATD/pages/a_ctrades_ltd_energy_tech-a.aspx

I know there are some states that reciprocate hours accrued so a trainee/apprentice can submit for a journeyman's license.

Since all the work on projects must have a permit licensed per the scope/project and in most cases be signed off from a city inspector, the quality of work done by the apprentices underneath the journeyman seems to be better off than states that have no processes or regulations.

Here is California we have access control technicians, installers walking around paid Union A scale which can easily fetch 50-60 an hour for a foreman or senior technician to run the job in the field. In almost every case these union guys can barely ping a camera on a network, type 35 wpm, have never built a PC (I am in silicon valley and so are they). The work is not inspected, the job updates always seem even up with the Union guys..."getting their 8". Jobs with no engineered drawings are another instant flag where the union crew calls in and asks the PM, "What do you want us to do? We have no drawings". It's a mess, and these bay area companies pay for this. What?

So I veered off a bit but I have to rant, I hear all the screaming about time tickets, certified payroll, scale and all the other BS.  In a geographical area where most of the install technicians are union, it is an outrage to see all the whining. Yes they sit in 4-5 hours of traffic per day, yes parking is $50 a day, yes tolls are 5-6 extra to get into SF or cross the bay, personally a decent lunch in SF is 15-20 per day or 10 at a lunch truck (the bad ones). I feel for the techs but these old union guys blended with millennials is the worst combo I have ever scene. Sales reps can hit lunch with each other and it is 25 -50 each, bring the customer you can double that in the city.

Can an apprenticeship program work? Well with all the license fees, renewals and fines I am sure somebody has a ton of money to make. As far as security it may be a good thing, more back ground checks, fingerprints registered to the company you work for and the government. There are many union guys that get in on the friend basis, move up and are never checked. Next thing you know they are running around a data center in Santa Clara installing avigilon cameras and no one, really knows where these guys came from.

Tired of California, bring on the apprentice/journeyman program I cannot wait to see the look on these guys faces. Do not grandfather them in. Make them take and pass a test for once in their life. Some guys can terminate fiber yet cannot terminate an HID reader. Some guys can set up Alexa, download phone apps, pay all their bills online(perhaps wife helping) yet they cannot changed the IP on their laptops from dhcp to static. An apprenticeship program helps the local company promote from within, the journeyman learn more by teaching and training rather than delegating, the process and methods are backed by work ethics. 

(1)
(1)
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Dan Gelinas
•Mar 12, 2019
IPVM
In reply to Undisclosed #1

UD#1, thank you for the feedback. I had heard that there were similar bills underway in Washington state with apprenticeship requirements. 

So you're saying that the apprenticeship requirement will help to shake out the people who are not sufficiently trained, but coast by under the protection of unions? 

What do you say to people who say it will make public works jobs too expensive to work on?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
•Mar 12, 2019

Off topic, I know, but I would be OK with the government just staying out of this.  Oh well, a boy can always dream...

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