222. Project labor agreements. 1. Definition. "Project labor agreement" shall mean a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement between a contractor and a bona fide building and construction trade labor organization establishing the labor organization as the collective bargaining representative for all persons who will perform work on a public work project, and which provides that only contractors and subcontractors who sign a pre-negotiated agreement with the labor organization can perform project work.
2. Contracts. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general, special or local law, or judicial decision to the contrary:
(a) Any agency, board, department, commission or officer of the state of New York, or of any political subdivision thereof as defined in section one hundred of the general municipal law, municipal corporation as defined in section sixty-six of the general construction law, public benefit corporation, or local or state authority as defined in section two of the public authorities law having jurisdiction over the public work may require a contractor awarded a contract, subcontract, lease, grant, bond, covenant or other agreement for a project to enter into a project labor agreement during and for the work involved with such project when such requirement is part of the agency, board, department, commission or officer of the state of New York, political subdivision, municipal corporation, public benefit corporation or local or state authority having jurisdiction over the public work request for proposals for the project and when the agency, board, department, commission or officer of the state of New York, political subdivision, municipal corporation, public benefit corporation or local or state authority having jurisdiction over the public work determines that its interest in obtaining the best work at the lowest possible price, preventing favoritism, fraud and corruption, and other considerations such as the impact of delay, the possibility of cost savings advantages, and any local history of labor unrest, are best met by requiring a project labor agreement.
(b) Any contract, subcontract, lease, grant, bond, covenant or other agreement for projects undertaken pursuant to this section shall not be subject to the requirements of separate specifications (referred to as the Wicks Law) when the agency, board, department, commission or officer of the state of New York, or political subdivision thereof, municipal corporation, public benefit corporation or local or state authority having jurisdiction over the public work has chosen to require a project labor agreement, pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision.
(c) Whenever the agency, board, department, commission or officer of the state of New York, or political subdivision thereof, municipal corporation, public benefit corporation or local or state authority having jurisdiction over the public work enters into a contract, subcontract, lease, grant, bond, covenant or other agreement for the construction, reconstruction, demolition, excavation, rehabilitation, repair, renovation, alteration, or improvement for a project undertaken pursuant to this section, it shall be deemed to be a public works project for the purposes of this article, and all the provisions of this article shall be applicable to all the work involved with such project including, but not limited to, the enforcement of prevailing wage requirements by the fiscal officer as defined in paragraph (e) of subdivision five of section two hundred twenty of this article.
(d) Every contract entered into by any agency, board, department, commission or officer of the state of New York, or any political subdivision thereof, municipal corporation, public benefit corporation or local or state authority having jurisdiction over the public work for a project shall contain a provision that the design of such project shall be subject to the review and approval of the entity and that the design and construction standards of such project shall be subject to the review and approval of such state entity, if applicable. In addition, every such contract shall contain a provision that the contractor shall furnish a labor and material bond guaranteeing prompt payment of moneys that are due to all persons furnishing labor and materials pursuant to the requirements of any contracts for a project undertaken pursuant to this section and a performance bond for the faithful performance of the project, which shall conform to the provisions of state or local law, and that a copy of such performance and payment bonds shall be kept by such entity and shall be open to public inspection.
(e) Any contract, subcontract, lease, grant, bond, covenant, or other agreement for construction, reconstruction, demolition, excavation, rehabilitation, repair, renovation, alteration, or improvement with respect to each project undertaken pursuant to this section, the entity shall consider the financial and organizational capacity of contractors and subcontractors in relation to the magnitude of work they may perform, the record of performance of contractors and subcontractors on previous work, the record of contractors and subcontractors in complying with existing labor standards and maintaining harmonious labor relations, and the commitment of contractors to work with minority and women-owned business enterprises pursuant to article fifteen-A of the executive law through joint ventures of subcontractor relationships. With respect to any contract for construction, reconstruction, demolition, excavation, rehabilitation, repair, renovation, alteration, or improvement in excess of three million dollars in the counties of the Bronx, Kings, New York, Queens, and Richmond; one million five hundred thousand dollars in the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester; and five hundred thousand dollars in all other counties within the state; the entity shall further require that each contractor and subcontractor shall participate in apprentice training programs in the trades of work it employs that have been approved by the department for not less than three years and shall have graduated at least one apprentice in the last three years and shall have at least one apprentice currently enrolled in such apprenticeship training program. In addition, it must be demonstrated that the program has made significant efforts to attract and retain minority apprentices, as determined by affirmative action goals established for such program by the department.
Last modified: February 3, 2019