PLA Market Survey for James Island Phase 1 Restoration 18 JUN 25.pdf

PROJECT LABOR MARKET SURVEY FOR PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS (PLA) FOR:

MID CHESAPEAKE BAY JAMES ISLAND RESTORATION PHASE 1, DORCHESTER

COUNTY, MARYLAND

SPECIAL NOTICE: W912DR25H13SY

This Special Notice is not a Request for Proposal, Request for Quote, or Invitation for Bid. There is no commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation, make awards, or pay for respondent's expenditures made in response to this notice. Interested vendors are responsible for monitoring this notice for any subsequent amendments. All submissions become government property and will not be returned. Any solicitation issued as a result of this notice will be in a separate announcement.

The Corps of Engineers - Baltimore District is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for a large-scale construction project in Dorchester County, Maryland

The Government has a requirement for construction services for the multiple features at James Island that facilitate the restoration effort in Dorchester County, MD. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) for this requirement is 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction) Business Size Standard of $45.0 Million.

This contract will include the construction of multiple features at James Island that facilitate the restoration efforts: (1) Construction of dikes; and (2) dredging and stockpiling of sand materials.

(1) Dikes (approximately 10,000 linear feet): this feature will include the installation of stone, geotextile and sand materials to create a perimeter dike structure. Stone and geotextile materials will be shipped to the site and installed. Sand materials will be dredged from a local borrow area.

(2) Sand Stockpiling (approximately 3,000,000 cubic yards): this feature will include the excavation of substantial sand materials from a local borrow area with placement occurring within the newly constructed dikes (containment area) for future dike construction.

A project labor agreement is defined as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organization that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project and is an agreement described in 29 U.S.C. § 158(f). See FAR 22.503 policy for details.

The Baltimore District is performing market research to assess market conditions to determine if an exception to the PLA requirements should be pursued. Specifically, the Baltimore District is requesting specific information as whether the inclusion of the PLA requirement would ‘substantially reduce the number of potential offerors to such a degree that adequate competition at a fair and reasonable price could not be achieved’ (FAR 22.504(d)(1)(ii)).

The Baltimore District requests responses to the following construction labor questions:

1. Do you have knowledge that a PLA has been used in the local area on projects of this kind? If so, provide supporting documentation? The information should include the following information on projects completed in the last 2-5 years:

a) Project Name and Location

b) Detailed Project Description

c) Initial Cost Estimate vs. Actual Final Cost

d) Was the project completed on time?

e) Number of craft trades present on the project

f) Was a PLA used?

g) Were there any challenges experienced during the project?

2. Are you aware of skilled labor shortages in the area for those crafts that will be needed to complete the referenced project? If so, please provide a clear response with supporting documentation where possible.

3. Does the local market contain the sufficient number of available skilled workers for this project?

4. Are the other projects in the vicinity going to limit the pool of skill labor available for your project?

5. Are you aware of time sensitive issues/scheduling requirements that would impact the rate at which the referenced project should be completed? If so, elaborate and provide supporting documentation where possible.

6. Are there collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that are likely to expire during the course of the project under consideration that might cause delays?

7. Identify specific reasons why or how you believe a PLA would advance the Federal Government’s interest in achieving economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.

8. Identify specific reasons why you do not believe a PLA would advance the Federal Governments interest in achieving economy and efficiency in federal procurement.

9. Identify any additional information you believe should be considered on the use of a PLA for the referenced project.

10. How would the use of a PLA impact project costs.

11. How would the use of a PLA impact the small business participation as subcontractors?

12. What implications to small businesses and small business set aside goals need to be met based on our PLA guidelines? Please provide a clear response.

13. How would a PLA on this project impact small business prime and subcontractors who are non-signatory to a PLA concurrently working a separate contract on the same project site. Please provide a clear response.

14. Is your firm a serious interested party in that you intend to submit a proposal for this procurement?

Will the use of a PLA impact your ability to propose? Please provide a clear response (Yes or No along with a supporting explanation).

Please send your labor market survey responses via email to Aisha Boykin aisha.r.boykin@usace.army.mil no later than 11:00 AM EST on 18 July 2025. Details and clarity in responses are essential in order for the District Contracting Officer to assess competitive impacts, if any.

mailto:Amber.L.Rose@usace.army.mil