Displaced public transit, solid waste handling, and recycling services employees.

Existing law requires a local government agency letting a public transit service contract out to bid to give a bidding preference for contractors and subcontractors who agree to retain, for a period of at least 90 days, certain employees who were employed to perform essentially the same services by the previous contractor or subcontractor. Under this law, contractors or subcontractors who agree to retain employees must offer employment to those employees except for reasonable and substantiated cause. Additionally, the law provides that if a successor contractor or subcontractor determines that fewer employees are needed than under the prior contract, qualified employees must be retained by seniority within the job classification. Further, the existing contractor, when required by the awarding authority, must provide employment information relating to wage rates, benefits, dates of hire, and job classifications of employees under the existing service contract to the awarding authority or a successor contractor. This bill would add employees of solid waste handling and recycling contractors and subcontractors to those provisions. By requiring local agencies to give a bidding preference to such contractors and subcontractors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.