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Senate debate exposes split over allowing nonunion subcontractors to bid on union general contracts
Summary
Senate took up SB79 to permit nonunion subcontractors to bid on state projects where union general contractors are used; backers framed it as expanding competition, opponents said it would effectively lock out unions and could threaten projects like Intermountain Power Project.
Senate Bill 79, introduced to allow nonunion subcontractors to bid on state projects where union general contractors prevail, prompted a heated exchange on the Senate floor. Sponsor explained the bill would open bidding to more subcontractors and potentially increase competition and better value for tax dollars. "Nonunion subcontractors cannot bid to a union general on state projects, and those are the facts," the sponsor said when pressed.
Senator Black disputed that characterization and argued the proposal had been attempted before and amounted to a ‘‘subterfuge’’ that could lock unions out of bidding and impede existing collective bargaining arrangements. He distributed documents and warned the bill could imperil large projects such as the Intermountain Power Project if it reduced cooperative arrangements among contractors.
Other senators asked for clarifications about existing bidding rules and whether Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rules would apply when federal funds are involved; proponents framed the bill as a right-to-work fairness issue, while critics said it would change long-standing local practices.
The Senate called the question and a roll-call proceeded; the debate ended with the item being filed for future action.
