The Los Angeles City Council Wednesday voted to have the city begin work to create a list of pre- qualified contractors in an effort to protect workers and ensure that Los Angeles maintains high-quality construction standards.
“We have learned that a significant number of construction workers in California are vulnerable to exploitable labor practices, including misclassification, underpayment and incomplete access to benefits,” said the motion’s author, Councilman Kevin de León, citing a UC Berkeley report.
“By developing best practices for designating a list of pre-qualified reputable contractors, we can protect our residents and workers alike from the consequences of cutting corners,” he added.
The motion directed the Economic Development Department, in coordination with the departments of City Planning and Building and Safety, as well as the Bureau of Contract Administration, to form a group to create best practices for designating a list of pre-qualified contractors. The group will also determine applicability and incentivize participation.
The list of contractors will be scored using criteria including company safety record, participation in state-approved apprenticeship training programs and direct hiring goals, as well as the availability of employer-paid health insurance and welfare benefits, compensated time-off policies, pension benefits and a clean record of compliance with labor laws.
De León’s motion builds upon the draft Hollywood Community Plan update, in which the City Planning Commission added as one of the implementation programs an instruction to the planning department to study and develop a pre-qualification process to evaluate contractors.
“Development of such a pre-qualification process could be beneficial citywide, particularly in areas of high density with ongoing development,” the motion stated. “Such a process would allow for informed selection of reputable contractors.
Exploitable labor practices cause workers and their families to need government safety net programs, including food stamps and medical coverage, to meet their basic needs, de León’s motion stated, and a pre-qualified process could alleviate these conditions.
“The Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters applauds the motion,” stated Dan Langford, executive secretary- treasurer/CEO of Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. “Every Angeleno deserves the opportunity to provide for themselves and their family. This motion is a critical first step in helping Los Angeles build back in a more holistic and equitable way.”
The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who called the construction industry “notorious for worker misclassification and abuse.”
In statement after the motion was introduced on June 9, Rodriguez said: “The working men and women who build our city deserve to make a wage that sustains them and to be employed by companies that value not just their labor but their lives. This working group will be a first step in exploring how the city can ensure that workers are protected from exploitative labor practices.”