New Rules for Contractors In New London

Contractors who want to do business with the City of New London better have a bona fide apprentice training program. A new ordinance approved by New London City Council on Tuesday now makes it a requirement as part of the bidding process for any public construction project costing $1 million or more. 

The new ordinance was suggested by Chris Bachant, business representative of the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, who argued that such a requirement would give New London residents a greater chance of having a career in the trades. 

"There's a large difference between on-the-job-training and an apprenticeship program," Bachant said, noting that the carpenter's union four-year certified apprenticeship program involves 8,000 hours of on-the-job training plus regular classroom instruction. 

With this requirement, Bachant said, New London residents hired for construction jobs would have the chance to learn a skilled trade. "It gives opportunities to people who might otherwise not have them and careers that may otherwise not be attainable," he said. 

Bachant, who first made his case to the Council's the Administration Committee with a strong show of support from the carpenters' union, also presented the City Council with a letter from the Greater New London NAACP endorsing the proposal.   

Members of the City Council said they appreciated the need for training programs that provided career opportunities for those New London residents who are not be college bound. However, there was some debate over how passing such an ordinance would impact city coffers and whether it might leave New London open to lawsuits from contractors who may be ineligible to bid. 

One New London-based contractor said that, though his small mechanical insulation company works with an apprenticeship program, "a blanket restriction cuts people out of the loop." Not every trade has a certified apprenticeship program, he noted. 

A representative of the Association of Builders and Contractors also argued against the ordinance, saying that though union shops would qualify to bid, open shop companies—which he said make up about 80 percent of construction companies—may not.

"The state of Connecticut will not accept a nonunion training project," he said. "Good quality local contractors will be discriminated against."  

When other towns have passed similar ordinances, he said, project costs have risen by 20 percent and New London could find itself hiring larger union shops that are based out of state because smaller nonunion contractors would be precluded from bidding. Both could be unintended consequences of the ordinance, he cautioned. 

Councilman Adam Specace said that though he agreed with Bachant to a certain extent, he felt that not every trade would be able to meet the conditions of the ordinance. Council President Michael Passero, however, said that he had heard from a number of parties on the issue and felt that the ordinance, as amended, would be beneficial to city residents. 

"I think we have fashioned something here that meets the needs of both sides," Passero said. 

Bachant, at least, was elated that the ordinance passed.

"I'm very happy with the council's decision," he said. "I'm excited because it's a great opportunity for residents. Most importantly, it creates jobs with skills that can transfer. It's a win-win for everybody."