Reps. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced bicameral versions of the Good Energy Jobs Act, which would establish new labor standards for Department of Energy (DOE) projects receiving federal financial assistance.
The bill would require Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for construction, alteration, maintenance, and repair work and require registered apprentices to perform at least 15% of total labor hours, subject to applicable apprentice-to-journey worker ratios. The legislation would also require contractors and subcontractors on construction, alteration, maintenance or repair projects costing more than $1 million at DOE facilities, including contractor-operated National Laboratories and National Nuclear Security Administration facilities, to negotiate or become party to a project labor agreement. The bill also includes labor neutrality, community benefits, and domestic manufacturing requirements and is endorsed by LIUNA, the Iron Workers, IBEW, the Teamsters and SMART.
A fact sheet on the bill is available here.