SPECIAL NOTICE
Y -- Project Labor Agreement
- Notice Date
- 9/8/2016
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 236220
— Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USACE District, New England, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742-2751, United States
- ZIP Code
- 01742-2751
- Solicitation Number
- W912WJ-16-X-0027
- Point of Contact
- Robert Garrahan, Phone: 9783188814
- E-Mail Address
-
Robert.C.Garrahan@USACE.Army.mil
(Robert.C.Garrahan@USACE.Army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Description: The Corps of Engineers New England District is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the potential use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the following large scale (The estimated construction magnitude is between $25,000,000.00 and $100,000,000.00) construction project: The project scope of work includes the design and construction of a new three-story building with a penthouse adjacent to the existing WEAC facility. The new WEAC facility shall be designed in accordance with NIH Design Requirements Manual for Biomedical Laboratories and Animal Research Facilities (DRM). The WEAC is a multidisciplinary, full-service specialty laboratory with capabilities in the areas of medical device/radiation-emitting products, radionuclides, and microbiology analyses. It is the national servicing laboratory for engineering and radioactivity analyses, and FDA's only major laboratory installation to provide services in these two specialty areas. Device analysis work involves engineering, chemical, and microbiological evaluations of medical devices, and engineering analyses of radiation-emitting products. This work supports programs under FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH); and WEAC is the primary field laboratory upon which CDRH relies for its analytical services. The new building footprint shall be approximately 75,200 Building Gross Square Feet (BGSF). The first floor, approximately 28,668 SF, shall consist of the Engineering Branch, which includes 3 enclosed offices; an open office space capable of housing 25 cubicles; a conference room; and lab space (hearing; microwave; electromagnetically (EM) shielded; glove and condom; laser; sun lamp; x-ray; and fatigue). The second floor, approximately 19,726 SF, shall consist of the Radionuclides Branch, which includes 2 enclosed offices; an open office space capable of housing 18 cubicles; a conference room; and lab space (hot; general chemistry; chemistry wet; laminar hood; container closure; liquid scintillation; mass spectrometer; instrument control; gamma counting; alpha counting; beta counting; ashing; radionuclides glasswash; and Whole Body Counter). The third floor, approximately 18,468 SF, shall consist of the Bioeffects Branch, which includes 1 enclosed office; an open office space capable of housing 13 cubicles; a conference room; and lab space (tissue; infectivity; seafood sensory; food microbiology; sterility; microscopy; media prep; media prep walk-in refrigerator; molecular techniques; and bioeffects glasswash). The penthouse, approximately 8,336 SF, shall house the mechanical and electrical equipment. Support office areas, such as the Director's Office, WEAC headquarters, and shared support areas are provided as part of the BGSF throughout the three floors. They include, but not limited to, enclosed and open office spaces; library; file room; lunch room; training room; conference room; security reception area; atrium; lockers & showers room; mail room; high activity holding area; sample custodian area; loading dock; elevators & elevator lobby; and stairwells. This project involves civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, geotechnical, and architectural disciplines. Existing site electrical, water, sewer, gas, telecom, and drainage are available and shall be connected to the new building. The work is located adjacent to and within an active and occupied existing WEAC facility. Testing and analytical work will be ongoing in the existing facility during the construction of the new WEAC facility. Impact to on -going operations must be kept to a minimum and carefully coordinated with the Contracting Officer and WEAC staff. Range of Magnitude: Between $25M and $100M. Period of Performance: Expected to begin July 2017 and be completed by April 2021. 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). Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Policy: a. Project Labor Agreement (PLA) is a tool that agencies may use to promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement. Pursuant to Executive Order 13502, agencies are encouraged to consider requiring the use of project labor agreements in connection with large-scale construction projects. b. An agency may, if appropriate, require that every contractor and subcontractor engaged in construction on the project agree, for that project, to negotiate or become a party to a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations if the agency decides that the use of project labor agreements will 1. Advance the Federal Governments interest in achieving economy and efficiency in Federal procurement, producing labor-management stability, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other matters; and 2. Be consistent with law. Reference: Provision: 52.222-33 Notice of Requirement for Project Labor Agreement Clause 52.222-34 Project Labor Agreement. Some of the factors that may be considered regarding PLA use are: a. The involvement of multiple contractors and/or subcontractors working in multiple crafts or trades. b. The complexity of the project. c. Shortage of skilled labor in the region. d. Completion of the project will require an extended period of time. e. The use of PLA's on other comparable projects in this geographic area. f. The promotion of the Governments long term programs interests such as training of skilled workforce for future projects. g. The possibility of labor disputes that threaten timely completion. h. Additional costs from use of PLAs may be cost prohibitive. In consideration of the above factors, and any others which may be deemed appropriate, the construction community is invited to comment on the use of PLAs. Of particular interest to the Government are responses to the following questions: a. Should a PLA be executed on the above described Construction Project? What benefits do you believe a PLA could achieve? What other factors should the Corps consider before deciding to include PLA provisions for the construction project? b. Will the use of a PLA be effective in achieving economy and efficiency? If so, how? What is the estimated relative cost impact, or any other economies or efficiencies derived by the Federal Government, if using a PLA? Will a PLA impact the cost of submitting an offer? c. Are there any concerns regarding labor-management stability related to this project? Will the use of a PLA produce labor-management stability on this project? Have labor disputes or other labor issues contributed to project delays in the local area? Are you aware of examples of labor-management conflicts in the area which could impact the efficiency of this project, which a PLA could positively impact/resolve? What market share does union labor in construction trades have in the geographic area? Which existing Collective Bargaining Agreements will expire during construction of this project? d. Will use of a PLA be conducive to ensuring compliance with laws and regulations governing safety and health, equal employment opportunity, labor and employment standards, and other relevant matters on this project? Are there instances where these standards have not been met on Federal contracts in the local area? Were PLAs used for those specific contracts? e. This project will require construction contractors and/or subcontractors employing workers in multiple crafts or trades; do you foresee any work on this project that may result in both the prime contractor and at least one subcontractor, or two or more subcontractors, employing the same trade? f. Are there concerns by prime contractors on the availability of skilled construction labor? Are there large scale construction projects in the area (over $25M, within 50 miles) which could impact availability of skilled labor for this project? What is the anticipated volatility in the labor market for the trades required for the execution of the project? Are existing apprentice programs providing sufficient numbers of skilled workers for future requirements? g. Is the proposed schedule/completion time one which would benefit from a PLA - if so, how? Will a PLA impact the completion time? Would a PLA benefit a project which contains a unique and compelling mission-critical schedule? h. Have comparable projects been undertaken by Federal, State, municipal, or private entities in the geographic area of this project? For each project, please indicate if a PLA was used, the initial and final cost, number of trades on the project, if the project was completed on time, and if there were any challenges such as labor shortages, labor related delays, safety issues, etc.. i. Will the use of PLAs impact the ability of potential Offerors and subcontractors to meet small-business utilization goals? Please provide your responses to these questions and any comments via email to Robert C. Garrahan, Contract Specialist, at Robert.C.Garrahan@usace.army.mil no later than the close of business, 5pm EST on September 29, 2016. Government Agency URL: www.nae.usace.army.mil Government Agency URL Description: New England District, Corps of Engineers
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USA/COE/DACA33/W912WJ-16-X-0027/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Winchester Engineering and Analytical Center, Winchester, Massachusetts, 01890, United States
- Zip Code: 01890
- Zip Code: 01890
- Record
- SN04263968-W 20160910/160909000251-38ed46605e70da9fb09cf7c14ebec9a6 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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