The information below is effective July 1, 2017. If you have questions regarding projects in the Work Recovery Program prior to July 1, 2017, please contact our office.
Market Recovery
The Washington and Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers’ Work Recovery Program has been established to help its union members regain jobs within the jurisdiction of this District Council. In order to participate in this program, each Contractor must meet the following requirements:
1. A current Full Term Master Labor Agreement must be on file for each area the contractor performs work within this Council and all fringe benefit contributions must be in current payment status with the Trust. In the event a contractor terminates any Laborers’ collective bargaining agreement in any area the contractor performs work within the jurisdiction of this District Council, the contractor immediately forfeits the right to receive any and all Work Recovery Funds available on all projects within the jurisdiction of this Council.
2. The Employer voluntarily recognizes the Washington & Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers and its affiliated Local Unions (Union) as the exclusive bargaining representative of all employees performing bargaining unit work covered by each area agreement and has agreed that a majority of those employees have designated the Union as their collective bargaining representative and the Union has requested recognition as the majority representative. The Employer agrees that, upon the Union’s presentation of evidence of majority status among employees in the bargaining unit described herein, the Employer will immediately voluntarily recognize the Union as the exclusive bargaining agent pursuant to Section 9(a) of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) for all employees within the bargaining unit as defined above on all present and future job sites within the jurisdiction of the Union. Failure to comply with this provision shall result in a forfeiture of all subsidies and participating in the Work Recovery Program until compliance is attained.
3. If a contractor should become delinquent in any required fringe benefit payments, all Work Recovery payments for reimbursement will be suspended until the contractor becomes current in ALL required payments to any Trust Funds affected. This Council is the sole authority to determine if and when reimbursement payments can resume.
4. If it is discovered that a contractor is using workers other than members of a Local Union under this Council’s jurisdiction on any project (even those not covered by a Work Recovery Subsidy) to do Laborers’ work as per the classifications of the appropriate Master Labor Agreement, all Work Recovery reimbursements and program privileges will be suspended until a meeting is held between this Council and the contractor and an acceptable agreement is reached. If no such agreement is reached, Work Recovery reimbursements and privileges can be terminated.
5. A request for subsidy on a specific project must be received at the Council’s office at least seven (7) working days prior to the bid date.
6. The Employer section of a “Work Recovery Request Form,” WRP#1”, must be filled out completely and e-mailed or faxed to:
Washington and Northern Idaho
District Council of Laborers
Email: MarketRecovery@nwlaborers.org
Fax #: (425) 741-2787
7. Only projects that have been specifically requested by completion of the Work Recovery Program Request Form, will be considered. The Work Recovery Request Form must be complete. Any missing information may be grounds for rejection of the Request for Subsidy. The District Council will attempt to notify all fully signatory contractors who it has been notified is/are bidding a project when the project is being considered for a subsidy. The Council’s sole responsibility is to make a “good faith” effort to notify contractors.
8. Notification to contractors of an approved subsidy will be by a “Confirmation of Subsidy” WRP#2 at least two (2) hours prior to bid time, when possible. Notification will be given between 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM. No job will be considered as approved for a Work Recovery Program subsidy unless notification is given by the Business Manager of the District Council or his designee.
9. A Confirmation of Subsidy will be honored for thirty days after the scheduled bid date. If the District Council is not informed of the bid results within those thirty days, we will close that file and the Work Recovery funds will become unavailable. If the bid is postponed, or if there is a delay in the award, the contractor must request an extension of the Work Recovery Subsidy. An extension, if granted, will be in effect for the next thirty days. If the project requires a continued hold, the contractor must request a new extension every thirty days.
10. In order for the Union to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of this program, the contractor must furnish the actual bid results, when available, whether good or bad. A Bid Result/Status sheet will be faxed with each Confirmation of Subsidy. This form must be returned to this office for EVERY project awarded a subsidy or grant. Additionally, all sub-contractors who will perform work for you on a Work Recovery project must be listed on the Bid Result/Status sheet. This information will help us in assessing future targeting efforts. This form should be faxed or e-mailed to the Council as soon as possible.
11. The successful bidder will be sent a Work Recovery Agreement, WRP#3, upon receipt of a completed Bid Result/Status Sheet. The information on the Work Recovery Agreement will reconfirm the commitment of the Work Recovery Program to reimburse the Employer for a stipulated number of hours at a given rate. Only hours specified in the Work Recovery Program Agreement will be reimbursed. If the subsidy is calculated on an hourly basis, the amount of the subsidy will not exceed the actual total number of Laborers’ hours worked on the project. Use of non-union contractors on this project will render this Confirmation of Subsidy null & void unless a pre-job conference is held and all parties involved mutually agree otherwise. An original, signed Work Recovery Agreement must be returned to the District Council before any monies will be distributed.
12. At no time will there be more than one Work Recovery Subsidy for the Employer for the same work on a project. Any other special dispensation for a project must be negotiated between the Contractor, the Local Union having jurisdiction over the project and the Washington & Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers and will require a Memorandum of Understanding. Those negotiated dispensations will have no effect on the Work Recovery Program or the administration of any awarded subsidy.
13. A Weekly Employee Timesheet,” WRP#4, must be completed for each Laborer showing all hours worked on the funded job and sent to the District Council with the Monthly Reimbursement Request Form, WRP#5. The Timesheets submitted must be ink-signed originals. Only hours worked by members in good standing of a Local Union under the jurisdiction of this Council will be considered for reimbursement.
14. A Monthly Reimbursement Request Form,” WRP#5, must be completed, signed and sent to the District Council every month for all Laborers employed on the Work Recovery Program job for the preceding work month.
15. The Work Recovery Program is intended as a supplement only. All other aspects of the Wage and Fringe Benefit package shall remain per the appropriate Area Master Agreement, including regular wage increases and full fringe benefits.
16. Upon request from the Union, the Employer shall provide to the Union a Letter of Assignment that sets out any work assignments made on a job site. The Union may make such a request during the pre-job or while a project is under construction in order to verify work that is performed by its members. If the request is made after the project has been completed, the employer and the Union shall ensure the accuracy of the description of the assignments. The letter of assignment shall contain a complete description of the work and the work processes, the make-up of the crew and the name and location of the project. Employers who fail to comply with the request within thirty (30) days shall be subject to the grievance procedure of the appropriate Master Labor Agreement.
17. The contractor assumes all responsibility for informing and training their personnel regarding the Work Recovery Program. Employee turnover or poor training on the part of the contractor will not be acceptable exception to not following the rules of the Program.
18. Contractors may lose Work Recovery Program opportunities if abuse of this program is determined. The Business Manager of the District Council may terminate any and all Work Recovery Subsidies at any time if abuse by the contractor is determined. A written notice will be sent to the contractor and they may appeal the decision through the Executive Board of the District Council.
19. Work Recovery Program Requirements may be revised at any time by the Executive Board of the District Council.
20. Failure to comply with any of the Work Recovery Program Requirements may result in a forfeiture of all subsidies and participating in the Work Recovery program until compliance is attained.
If further information is required, please do not hesitate to contact our office at (425) 741-3556.