Members of the California Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment
SB 284 extends the benefits of existing law (e.g., prevailing wage, skilled & trained workforce, fair contracting, and project labor agreements) to work done under contract with IOU’s regulated by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
Currently, there is no requirement for IOUs to comply with pro-labor safeguards that ensure that the best and most highly skilled and trained workforce perform construction work contracted by IOUs. The IOUs have caused wildfires, explosions, and other catastrophes in communities, causing inconceivable personal and economic suffering by our residents (including the ratepayers of these IOUs), inflicting an astronomical amount of damage to property and our economy, and upending the insurance market.
By requiring IOUs to remove constraints on the qualified pool of union labor able to competitively and equitably bid on and execute these critical projects – while ensuring transparency for interconnection and preventing burdensome voltage dictates – SB 284 will improve the reliability and rate of new housing construction and energy upgrades, helping the state meet its housing and climate goals, while accelerating wildfire mitigation and other critical IOU work.