Wilmington Harbor Anchorage Basin /Mid-River Dredging Maintenance

Project Labor Agreement Market Survey

Subject: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, - Regional Harbor Dredge for USACE South Atlantic Division – Labor Market Survey.

This is a project labor agreement survey only. This is not a request for proposal, request for quote, or invitation for bid. There will not be a solicitation, specifications, or drawings available at this time.

This is a SPECIAL NOTICE. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this notice. The Corps of Engineers Wilmington District is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the potential use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for large scale construction projects (exceeding $25 million) within the Wilmington District, NC.  Description of Work:  maintenance dredging for two (2) dredging projects.  The areas of consideration for these dredging services are Wilmington Harbor Anchorage Basin and 42-Ft Project, and Mid-River Channels, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties, North Carolina.

Wilmington Harbor Anchorage Basin

Maintenance Dredging, Wilmington Harbor Anchorage Basin and 42-Ft Project, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties, North Carolina

Estimated Quantity: 1.5 to 2M CY

Environmental Window: 1 August 2023 through 31 January 2024

The work includes maintenance dredging of upper Wilmington Harbor federal navigation channel reaches including the Anchorage Basin and Turning Basin Extension. The work will consist of removal and disposal of shoaled material that has accumulated in the channels and berth areas since the various areas were last dredged.  The work will require a mechanical dredge and barges to transport material to the disposal site.  Dredging depths are 42’ plus 2’ of allowable overdepth for the Anchorage Basin.  Dredging depths are 39+ plus 1’ of allowable overdepth for the Turning Basin Extension.  The estimated quantity of material to be dredged is 1.5 to 2 Million Cubic Yards.  The Government furnished disposal area is the Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS).  The environmental window for dredging the Wilmington Harbor federal navigation channel reaches is 1 August through 31 January.

Mid-River Channels

Maintenance Dredging, Cape Fear River, New Hanover and Brunswick Counties, North Carolina

Estimated Quantity: 400K to 800K

Environmental Window: None

The work includes maintenance dredging of middle Wilmington Harbor federal navigation channels from Upper Brunswick to Battery Island. The work will consist of removal and disposal of shoaled material that has accumulated in the channels since the various areas were last dredged.  The work will require a mechanical dredge and ocean certified barges to transport material to the disposal site.  Dredging depths are 42’ plus 2’ of allowable overdepth for all reaches except Battery Island, which has a dredging depth of 44’ plus 2’ of allowable overdepth. The estimated quantity of material to be dredged is 400K to 800K Cubic Yards.  The Government furnished disposal area is the Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS).  There is no environmental window for dredging the Wilmington Harbor federal navigation channel reaches using a mechanical dredge.

A PLA is defined as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations 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).

Accordingly, Offerors are requested to respond to this Special Notice regarding PLA with the following information.

(1) Do you have knowledge that a PLA has been used in the Wilmington District, Savannah District, GA, Charleston District, Charleston Harbor, and surrounding areas, on projects of this kind? If so, please provide supporting documentation.

(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 elaborate and provide supporting documentation where possible.
(3) Are you aware of time sensitive issues/scheduling requirements that would impact the rate at which the referenced project should be completed? If so, please elaborate and provide supporting documentation where possible.
(4) Identify specific reasons why or how you believe a PLA would advance the Federal Governments interest in achieving economy and efficiency in federal procurement.
(5) Identify specific reasons why you do not believe a PLA would advance the Federal Governments interest in achieving economy and efficiency in federal procurement.
(6) Please identify any additional information you believe should be considered on the use of a PLA on the referenced project.

(7) Please identify any additional information you believe should be considered on the non-use of a PLA on the referenced project.

(8) Please provide a list of recent (2-5 years) construction projects in the local labor market of the project under consideration. Include the following items:

Project Name/Location

Project Description

Initial Cost Est/Actual Final Cost

Was the project completed on time

Number of craft trades present on the project

PLA (Y/N)

Were there any challenges experienced during the project (delays,

investigations, health and safety

issues, labor shortages,

management/

organizational issues, etc)?

1.

2.

3.

(9) Which trades are expected to be employed on this project? Are you likely to need some union skilled trades for at least part of this project?

(10) What market share does union labor have in the geographic area for this project or type of construction?

(11) Does the local market contain the sufficient number of available skilled workers for this project? Are there other projects in the vicinity going to limit the pool of skill labor available for your project?

(12) Has a project like this been done before in the local market?

(13) What investments have been made to support registered apprenticeship programs?

(14) Have PLAs been used on comparable projects undertaken by the public sector in this geographic region? Have PLAs been used on this type of project in other regions?

(15) Which CBAs are likely to expire during the course of the project under consideration that might cause delays?

(16) How do open shop and union wage rates influence prevailing wage rates in the local market and compare to Davis Bacon rates? What impact does unionization in the local market have on wages?

(17) Could a PLA contribute to cost savings in any of the following ways?

                -Harmonization of shifts and holidays between the trades to cut labor costs?

                -Minimization disruptions that may arise due to expiration of CBA?

                -Availability of trained, registered apprentices, efficient for highly skilled workforce?

                -Allowing for changes in apprentice to journeyman ration.

-Serving as management tool that ensure highly skilled workers from multiple trades are coordinated in the most efficient way.

-Others?

(18) Could a PLA minimize risk and contribute to greater efficiency in any of the following ways?

                -Mechanisms to avoid delays

-Complying with Davis Bacon and other labor standards, safety rules and EEO and OFCP laws.

-Ensuring a steady supply of skilled labor in markets with low supply or high competition for workers.

(19) Are there ways in which a PLA might increase costs on this particular project?

(20) What is the cost impact to the bid due to a PLA?

Interested Offerors shall respond to this Special Notice no later than 19 April 2023 at 4PM EDT.  E-mail your response  – rosalind.m.shoemaker@usace.army.mil and diana.d.curl@usace.army.mil. This Special Notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for the information solicited.