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Bill would require public‑works bidders to disclose recent wage‑and‑hour violations; committee advances measure as amended
Summary
AB 1838 would require contractors bidding on public works to disclose wage and hour violations in the previous five years. Labor groups supported the bill as worker and taxpayer protection; contractor groups warned it could produce burdens and reduce competition. The committee passed the bill as amended to the labor committee.
An author presented AB 1838 as a measure to improve transparency for awarding agencies by requiring contractors bidding on public works to disclose wage‑and‑hour violations occurring within the previous five years. "Any history of wage and hour violations directly reflects contractor responsibility and is critical information for local agencies to determine who should be trusted with taxpayer dollars," the author said.
Labor and building trades groups including the California Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers and AFSCME supported the bill as a tool to protect workers and taxpayers. Matt Kremens, a union representative, said recent amendments addressed many contractor concerns and urged an aye vote.
The Associated General Contractors (AGC) and other contractor groups opposed, saying the measure could treat minor or corrected administrative violations the same as serious misconduct and could create hundreds of inconsistent local review processes that discourage competition and raise costs. AGC's spokesperson asked for a clearer distinction between remediable paperwork errors and serious labor violations.
The committee voted to pass AB 1838 as amended to the Committee on Labor, Public Employment and Retirement, recording an on‑file vote and leaving room for absent members before finalization.
