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Except for Section 10.8.2.1, the following definitions shall apply to the following terms used in this article:
“Awarding Authority” means any Board or Commission of the City of Los Angeles, or any authorized employee or officer of the City of Los Angeles, including the Purchasing Agent of the City of Los Angeles, who makes or enters into any contract or agreement for the provision of any goods or services of any kind or nature whatsoever for, or on behalf of, the City of Los Angeles.
“Contract” means any agreement, franchise, lease or concession, including agreements for any occasional professional or technical personal services, for the performance of any work or service, the provision of any materials or supplies, or the rendition of any service to the City of Los Angeles or to the public, which is let, awarded or entered into with, or on behalf of, the City of Los Angeles or any Awarding Authority thereof. Contracts where the provisions of this article would conflict with federal or state grant funded contracts, or conflict with the terms of the grant or subvention, as determined by the DAA, are exempt.
“Contractor” means any person, firm, corporation, partnership or any combination thereof, who enters into a contract with any Awarding Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
“Designated Administrative Agency (DAA)” means the Department of Public Works, Office of Contract Compliance created by Article X of Chapter 13 of Division 22 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code. That office is also known as the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Contract Administration.
“Domestic Partners” means, for purposes of this article, any two adults, of the same or different sex, who have registered with a governmental entity pursuant to state or local law authorizing this registration or with an internal registry maintained by an employer of at least one of the domestic partners.
“Employment Practices” means any solicitation of, or advertisement for, employees, employment, change in grade or work assignment, assignment or change in place or location of work, layoff, suspension or termination of employees, rate of pay or other form of compensation including vacation, sick and compensatory time, selection for training, including apprenticeship programs, any and all employee benefits and activities, promotion and upgrading, and any and all actions taken to discipline employees for infractions of work rules or employer requirements.
“Minority” is defined to mean “minority person” as the phrase is defined in Subsection (f) of Section 2000 of the California Public Contract Code, as amended from time to time.
“Subcontractor” means any person, firm or corporation or partnership, or any combination thereof, who enters into a contract with a Contractor to perform or provide a portion or part of any Contract with the City.
SECTION HISTORY
Amended by: Ord. No. 147,030, Eff. 4-28-75; “Affirmative Action,” Ord. No. 164,516, Eff. 4-13-89; “Affirmative Action,” Ord. No. 168,244, Eff. 10-18-92; “Domestic partners” added, Ord. No. 172,909, Eff. 1-9-00; first two definitions deleted, Ord. No. 173,186, Eff. 5-22-00; “Domestic partners,” Ord. No. 175,115, Eff. 4-12-03; In Entirety, Ord. No. 184,292, Eff. 6-27-16.
The following thresholds will be used to determine the non-discrimination and affirmative action requirements set forth in this chapter for each type of contract.
Equal Employment Practices as outlined in Section 10.8.3 of this Code apply to all construction contracts of $1,000 or more and all non-construction contracts of $1,000 or more.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 173,186, Eff. 5-22-00.
Amended by: In Entirety, Ord. No. 184,292, Eff. 6-27-16.
Notwithstanding any other provision of any ordinance of the City of Los Angeles to the contrary, every Contract which is let, awarded or entered into with or on behalf of the City of Los Angeles, shall contain by insertion therein a provision obligating the Contractor in the performance of such Contract not to discriminate in the Contractor’s Employment Practices against any employee or applicant for employment because of the applicant’s race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, domestic partner status or medical condition. All Contractors who enter into such Contracts with the City shall include a like provision in all subcontracts awarded for work to be performed under the Contract with the City. Failure of the Contractor to comply with this requirement or to obtain the compliance of its Subcontractors with such obligations shall subject the Contractor to the imposition of any and all sanctions allowed by law, including, but not limited to, termination of the Contractor’s Contract with the City. Nothing contained in this Contract shall be construed in any manner so as to require or permit any act which is prohibited by law.
SECTION HISTORY
Amended by: Ord. No. 147,030, Eff. 4-28-75; Ord. No. 164,516, Eff. 4-13-89; Ord. No. 168,244, Eff. 10-18-92; Title and Sec., Ord. No. 172,910, Eff. 1-9-00; Title and Section, Ord. No. 173,186, Eff. 5-22-00; In Entirety, Ord. No. 184,292, Eff. 6-27-16.
(a) Legislative Findings. The City awards many contracts to private firms to provide services to the public and to City government. Many City contractors and subcontractors perform services that affect the proprietary interests of City government in that their performance impacts the success of City operations. The City holds a proprietary interest in the work performed by many employees employed by City contractors and subcontractors. In a very real sense, the success or failure of City operations may turn on the success or failure of these enterprises, for the City has a genuine stake in how the public perceives the services rendered for them by these businesses.
Discrimination in the provision of employee benefits between employees with domestic partners and employees with spouses results in unequal pay for equal work. Los Angeles law prohibits entities doing business with the City from discriminating in employment practices based on marital status and/or sexual orientation. The City’s departments and contracting agents are required to place in all City contracts a provision that the company choosing to do business with the City agrees to comply with the City’s nondiscrimination laws.
It is the City’s intent, through the contracting practices outlined in this Ordinance, to assure that those companies wanting to do business with the City will equalize the total compensation between similarly situated employees with spouses and with domestic partners. The provisions of this Ordinance are designed to ensure that the City’s contractors will maintain a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining capable employees, thereby improving the quality of the goods and services the City and its people receive, and ensuring protection of the City’s property.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of the Equal Benefits Ordinance only, the following shall apply.
(1) Awarding Authority means any Board or Commission of the City, or any employee or officer of the City, that is authorized to award or enter into any Contract, as defined in this ordinance, on behalf of the City, and shall include departments having control of their own funds and which adopt policies consonant with the provisions of the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(2) Benefits means any plan, program or policy provided or offered by a Contractor to its employees as part of the employer’s total compensation package. This includes but is not limited to the following types of benefits: bereavement leave, family medical leave, health benefits, membership or membership discounts, moving expenses, pension and retirement benefits, and travel benefits.
(3) Cash Equivalent means the amount of money paid to an employee with a Domestic Partner (or spouse, if applicable) in lieu of providing Benefits to the employee’s Domestic Partner (or spouse, if applicable). The Cash Equivalent is equal to the direct expense to the employer of providing Benefits to an employee for the employee’s Domestic Partner (or spouse, if applicable) or the direct expense to the employer of providing Benefits for the dependents and family members of an employee with a Domestic Partner (or spouse, if applicable).
(4) City means the City of Los Angeles.
(5) Contract means an agreement the value of which exceeds $25,000. It includes agreements for work or services to or for the City; for public works or improvements to be performed; agreements for the purchase of goods, equipment, materials, or supplies; or grants to be provided, at the expense of the City or to be paid out of monies under the control of the City. The term also includes a Lease or License, as defined in the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(6) Contractor means any person or persons, firm, partnership, corporation, joint venture, or any combination of these, or any governmental entity acting in its proprietary capacity, that enters into a Contract with any Awarding Authority of the City. The term does not include Subcontractors.
(7) Designated Administrative Agency (DAA) means the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Contract Administration.
(8) Domestic Partner means any two adults, of the same or different sex, who have registered as domestic partners with a governmental entity pursuant to state or local law authorizing this registration or with an internal registry maintained by the employer of at least one of the domestic partners.
(9) Equal Benefits Ordinance means Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 10.8.2.1, et seq., as amended from time to time.
(10) Equal Benefits means the equality of bene- fits between employees with spouses and employees with Domestic Partners, between spouses of employees and Domestic Partners of employees, and between dependents and family members of spouses and dependents and family members of Domestic Partners.
(11) Lease or License means any agreement allowing others to use property owned or controlled by the City, any agreement allowing others the use of City property in order to provide services to or for the City, such as for concession agreements, and any agreement allowing the City to use property owned or controlled by others.
(12) Subcontractor means any person or persons, firm, partnership, corporation, joint venture, or any combination of these, and any governmental entity, that assists the Contractor in performing or fulfilling the terms of the Contract. Subcontractors are not subject to the requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance unless they otherwise have a Contract directly with the City.
(c) Equal Benefits Requirements.
(1) No Awarding Authority of the City shall execute or amend any Contract with any Contractor that discriminates in the provision of Benefits between employees with spouses and employees with Domestic Partners, between spouses of employees and Domestic Partners of employees, and between dependents and family members of spouses and dependents and family members of Domestic Partners.
(2) A Contractor must permit access to, and upon request, must provide certified copies of all of its records pertaining to its Benefits policies and its employment policies and practices to the DAA, for the purpose of investigation or to ascertain compliance with the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(3) A Contractor must post a copy of the following statement in conspicuous places at its place of business available to employees and applicants for employment: “During the performance of a Contract with the City of Los Angeles, the Contractor will provide equal benefits to its employees with spouses and its employees with domestic partners.” The posted statement must also include a City contact telephone number which will be provided each Contractor when the Contract is executed.
(4) A Contractor must not set up or use its contracting entity for the purpose of evading the requirements imposed by the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(d) Other Options for Compliance. Provided that the Contractor does not discriminate in the provision of Benefits, a Contractor may also comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance in the following ways:
(1) A Contractor may provide an employee with the Cash Equivalent only if the DAA determines that either:
a. The Contractor has made a reasonable, yet unsuccessful effort to provide Equal Benefits; or
b. Under the circumstances, it would be unreasonable to require the Contractor to provide Benefits to the Domestic Partner (or spouse, if applicable).
(2) Allow each employee to designate a legally domiciled member of the employee’s household as being eligible for spousal equivalent Benefits.
(3) Provide Benefits neither to employees’ spouses nor to employees’ Domestic Partners.
(e) Applicability.
(1) Unless otherwise exempt, a Contractor is subject to and shall comply with all applicable provisions of the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(2) The requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance shall apply to a Contractor’s operations as follows:
a. A Contractor’s operations located within the City limits, regardless of whether there are employees at those locations performing work on the Contract.
b. A Contractor’s operations on real property located outside of the City limits if the property is owned by the City or the City has a right to occupy the property, and if the Contractor’s presence at or on that property is connected to a Contract with the City.
c. The Contractor’s employees located elsewhere in the United States but outside of the City limits if those employees are performing work on the City Contract.
(3) The requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance do not apply to collective bargaining agreements (“CBA”) in effect prior to January 1, 2000. The Contractor must agree to propose to its union that the requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance be incorporated into its CBA upon amendment, extension, or other modification of a CBA occurring after January 1, 2000.
(f) Mandatory Contract Provisions Pertaining to Equal Benefits. Unless otherwise exempted, every Contract shall contain language that obligates the Contractor to comply with the applicable provisions of the Equal Benefits Ordinance. The language shall include provisions for the following:
(1) During the performance of the Contract, the Contractor certifies and represents that the Contractor will comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(2) The failure of the Contractor to comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance will be deemed to be a material breach of the Contract by the Awarding Authority.
(3) If the Contractor fails to comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance the Awarding Authority may cancel, terminate or suspend the Contract, in whole or in part, and all monies due or to become due under the Contract may be retained by the City. The City may also pursue any and all other remedies at law or in equity for any breach.
(4) Failure to comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance may be used as evidence against the Contractor in actions taken pursuant to the provisions of Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 10.40, et seq., Contractor Responsibility Ordinance.
(5) If the DAA determines that a Contractor has set up or used its Contracting entity for the purpose of evading the intent of the Equal Benefits Ordinance, the Awarding Authority may terminate the Contract on behalf of the City. Violation of this provision may be used as evidence against the Contractor in actions taken pursuant to the provisions of Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 10.40, et seq., Contractor Responsibility Ordinance.
(g) Administration.
(1) The DAA is responsible for the enforcement of the Equal Benefits Ordinance for all City Contracts. Each Awarding Authority shall cooperate to the fullest extent with the DAA in its enforcement activities.
(2) In enforcing the requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance, the DAA may monitor, inspect, and investigate to ensure that the Contractor is acting in compliance with the Equal Benefits Ordinance. Contractor’s failure to cooperate with the DAA may result in a determination by the DAA that the Contractor is not in compliance with the Equal Benefits Ordinance, which may subject the Contractor to enforcement measures set forth in Section 10.8.2.1(h).
(3) The DAA shall promulgate rules and regulations and forms for the implementation of the Equal Benefits Ordinance. No other rules, regulations or forms may be used by an Awarding Authority of the City to accomplish this contract compliance program.
(h) Enforcement.
(1) If the Contractor fails to comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance:
a. The failure to comply may be deemed to be a material breach of the Contract by the Awarding Authority; or
b. The Awarding Authority may cancel, terminate or suspend, in whole or in part, the contract; or
c. Monies due or to become due under the Contract may be retained by the City until compliance is achieved;
d. The City may also pursue any and all other remedies at law or in equity for any breach.
e. The City may use failure to comply with the Equal Benefits Ordinance as evidence against the Contractor in actions taken pursuant to the provisions of Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 10.40, et seq., Contractor Responsibility Ordinance.
(i) Non-applicability, Exceptions and Waivers.
(1) Upon request of the Awarding Authority, the DAA may waive compliance with the Equal Benefits Ordinance under the following circumstances:
a. The Contract is for the use of City property, and there is only one prospective Contractor willing to enter into the Contract; or
b. The Contract is for needed goods, services, construction of a public work or improvement, or interest in or right to use real property that is available only from a single prospective Contractor, and that prospective Contractor is otherwise qualified and acceptable to the City; or
c. The Contract is necessary to respond to an emergency that endangers the public health or safety, and no entity which complies with the requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance capable of responding to the emergency is immediately available; or
d. The City Attorney certifies in writing that the Contract involves specialized litigation requirements such that it would be in the best interests of the City to waive the requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance; or
e. The Contract is (i) with a public entity; (ii) for goods, services, construction of a public work or improvement, or interest in or right to use real property; and (iii) that is either not available from another source, or is necessary to serve a substantial public interest. A Contract for interest in or the right to use real property shall not be considered as not being available from another source unless there is no other site of comparable quality or accessibility available from another source; or
f. The requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance will violate or are inconsistent with the terms or conditions of a grant, subvention or agreement with a public agency or the instructions of an authorized representative of the agency with respect to the grant, subvention or agreement, provided that the Awarding Authority has made a good faith attempt to change the terms or conditions of the grant, subvention or agreement to authorize application of the Equal Benefits Ordinance; or
g. The Contract is for goods, a service or a project that is essential to the City or City residents and there are no qualified responsive bidders or prospective Contractors who could be certified as being in compliance with the requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance; or
h. The Contract involves bulk purchasing arrangements through City, federal, state or regional entities that actually reduce the City’s purchasing costs and would be in the best interests of the City.
(2) The Equal Benefits Ordinance does not apply to contracts which involve:
a. The investment of trust monies, bond proceeds or agreements relating to the management of these funds, indentures, security enhancement agreements (including, but not limited to, liquidity agreements, letters of credit, bond insurance) for City tax-exempt and taxable financings, deposits of City’s surplus funds in financial institutions, the investment of City monies in competitively bid investment agreements, the investment of City monies in securities permitted under the California State Government Code and/or the City’s investment policy, investment agreements, repurchase agreements, City monies invested in U.S. government securities or pre-existing investment agreements;
b. Contracts involving City monies in which the Treasurer or the City Administrative Officer finds that either:
(i) No person, entity or financial institution doing business in the City, which is in compliance with the Equal Benefits Ordinance, is capable of performing the desired transaction(s); or
(ii) The City will incur a financial loss or forego a financial benefit which in the opinion of the Treasurer or City Administrative Officer would violate the Treasurer’s or City Administrative Officer’s fiduciary duties.
(3) The Equal Benefits Ordinance does not apply to contracts for gifts to the City.
(4) Nothing in this Subsection shall limit the right of the City to waive the provisions of the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(5) The provisions of this Subsection shall apply to the Equal Benefits Ordinance only. The Equal Benefits Ordinance is not subject to the exemptions provided in Section 10.9 of this Code.
(j) Consistency with Federal or State Law. The provisions of the Equal Benefits Ordinance do not apply where the application of these provisions would violate or be inconsistent with the laws, rules or regulations federal or state law, or where the application would violate or be in- consistent with the terms or conditions of a grant or contract with the United States of America, the State of California, or the instruction of an authorized representative of any of these agencies with respect to any grant or contract.
(k) Severability. If any provision of the Equal Benefits Ordinance is declared legally invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
(l) Timing of Application.
(1) The requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance shall not apply to Contracts executed or amended prior to January 1, 2000, or to bid packages advertised and made available to the public, or any bids received by the City, prior to January 1, 2000, unless and until those Contracts are amended after January 1, 2000 and would otherwise be subject to the Equal Benefits Ordinance.
(2) The requirements of the Equal Benefits Ordinance shall apply to competitively bid Contracts that are amended after April 1, 2003, and to competitively bid Contracts that result from bid packages advertised and made available to the public after May 1, 2003.
(3) Unless otherwise exempt, the Equal Benefits Ordinance applies to any agreement executed or amended after January 1, 2000, that meets the definition of a Contract as defined within Subsection 10.8.2.1(b).
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 172,908, Eff. 1-9-00.
Amended by: Ord. No. 173,054, Eff. 2-27-00; Ord. No. 173,058, Eff. 3-4-00; Ord. No. 173,142, Eff. 3-30-00; Ord. No. 173,285, Eff. 6-26-00, Oper. 7-1-00; In Entirety, Ord. No. 175,115, Eff. 4-12-03; Subsec. (b)(7), Ord. No. 176,155, Eff. 9-22-04; Subsecs. (b)(5) and (g)(2), Ord. No. 184,294, Eff. 6-27-16.
Every non-construction and construction Contract with, or on behalf of, the City of Los Angeles for which the consideration is $1,000 or more shall contain the following provisions, which shall be designated as the EQUAL EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES provision of such contract:
A. During the performance of this Contract, the Contractor agrees and represents that it will provide Equal Employment Practices and the Contractor and each Subcontractor hereunder will ensure that in their Employment Practices persons are employed and employees are treated equally and without regard to, or because of, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status or medical condition.
1. This provision applies to work or service performed or materials manufactured or assembled in the United States.
2. Nothing in this section shall require or prohibit the establishment of new classifications of employees in any given craft, work or service category.
3. The Contractor agrees to post a copy of Paragraph A., hereof, in conspicuous places at its place of business available to employees and applicants for employment.
B. The Contractor will, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed by, or on behalf of, the Contractor, state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status or medical condition.
C. At the request of the Awarding Authority or the DAA, the Contractor shall certify in the specified format that the Contractor has not discriminated in the performance of City Contracts against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis or because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status or medical condition.
D. The Contractor shall permit access to, and may be required to provide certified copies of, all of the Contractor’s records pertaining to employment and to employment practices by the awarding authority or the DAA for the purpose of investigation to ascertain compliance with the Equal Employment Practices provisions of City Contracts. Upon request, the Contractor shall provide evidence that the Contractor has or will comply therewith.
E. The failure of any Contractor to comply with the Equal Employment Practices provisions of this contract may be deemed to be a material breach of City Contracts. The failure shall only be established upon a finding to that effect by the Awarding Authority, on the basis of its own investigation or that of the DAA. No such finding shall be made or penalties assessed except upon a full and fair hearing after notice and an opportunity to be heard has been given to the Contractor.
F. Upon a finding duly made that the Contractor has failed to comply with the Equal Employment Practices provisions of a City Contract, the Contract may be forthwith cancelled, terminated or suspended, in whole or in part, by the Awarding Authority, and all monies due or to become due hereunder may be forwarded to, and retained by, the City of Los Angeles. In addition thereto, the failure to comply may be the basis for a determination by the Awarding Authority or the DAA that the said Contractor is a non-responsible bidder or proposer pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.40 of this Code. In the event of such a determination, the Contractor shall be disqualified from being awarded a Contract with the City of Los Angeles for a period of two years, or until the Contractor shall establish and carry out a program in conformance with the provisions hereof.
G. Notwithstanding any other provision of this contract, the City of Los Angeles shall have any and all other remedies at law or in equity for any breach hereof.
H. The Board of Public Works shall promulgate rules and regulations through the DAA, and provide necessary forms and required language to the Awarding Authorities to be included in City Request for Bids or Request for Proposal packages or in supplier registration requirements for the implementation of the Equal Employment Practices provisions of this Contract, and such rules and regulations and forms shall, so far as practicable, be similar to those adopted in applicable Federal Executive orders. No other rules, regulations or forms may be used by an Awarding Authority of the City to accomplish the contract compliance program.
I. Nothing contained in this Contract shall be construed in any manner so as to require or permit any act which is prohibited by law.
J. By affixing its signature on a Contract that is subject to this article, the Contractor shall agree to adhere to the Equal Employment Practices specified herein during the performance or conduct of City Contracts.
K. Equal Employment Practices shall, without limitation as to the subject or nature of employment activity, be concerned with employment practices, including, but not limited to:
1. hiring practices;
2. apprenticeships where approved programs are functioning and other on-the-job training for non-apprenticeable occupations;
3. training and promotional opportunities; and
4. reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities.
L. All Contractors subject to the provisions of this section shall include a similar provision in all subcontracts awarded for work to be performed under the Contract with the City, and shall impose the same obligations including, but not limited to, filing and reporting obligations, on the Subcontractors as are applicable to the Contractor. Subcontracts shall follow the same thresholds specified in Section 10.8.1.1. Failure of the Contractor to comply with this requirement or to obtain the compliance of its Subcontractors with all such obligations shall subject the Contractor to the imposition of any and all sanctions allowed by law, including, but not limited to, termination of the Contractor’s Contract with the City.
SECTION HISTORY
Amended by: Ord. No. 147,030, Eff. 4-28-75; Subsecs. A., B., C., Ord. No. 164,516, Eff. 4-13-89; Subsec. C., Ord. No. 168,244, Eff. 10-18-92; Ord. No. 173,186, Eff. 5-22-00; Subsec. F., Ord. No. 173,285, Eff. 6-26-00, Oper. 7-1-00; In Entirety, Ord. No. 184,292, Eff. 6-27-16.
Every non-construction and construction Contract with, or on behalf of, the City of Los Angeles for which the consideration is $25,000 or more shall contain the following provisions which shall be designated as the AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAM provisions of such Contract:
A. During the performance of a City Contract, the Contractor certifies and represents that the Contractor and each Subcontractor hereunder will adhere to an Affirmative Action Program to ensure that in its employment practices, persons are employed and employees are treated equally and without regard to or because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, domestic partner status or medical condition.
1. This section applies to work or services performed or materials manufactured or assembled in the United States.
2. Nothing in this section shall require or prohibit the establishment of new classifications of employees in any given craft, work or service category.
3. The Contractor shall post a copy of Paragraph A., hereof, in conspicuous places at its place of business available to employees and applicants for employment.
B. The Contractor shall, in all solicitations or advertisements for employees placed, by or on behalf of, the Contractor, state that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, domestic partner status or medical condition.
C. At the request of the Awarding Authority or the DAA, the Contractor shall certify on an electronic or hard copy form to be supplied, that the Contractor has not discriminated in the performance of City Contracts against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis or because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status, domestic partner status or medical condition.
D. The Contractor shall permit access to, and may be required to provide certified copies of, all of its records pertaining to employment and to its employment practices by the Awarding Authority or the DAA for the purpose of investigation to ascertain compliance with the Affirmative Action Program provisions of City Contracts and, upon request, to provide evidence that it has or will comply therewith.
E. The failure of any Contractor to comply with the Affirmative Action Program provisions of City Contracts may be deemed to be a material breach of a City Contract. The failure shall only be established upon a finding to that effect by the Awarding Authority, on the basis of its own investigation or that of the DAA. No finding shall be made except upon a full and fair hearing after notice and an opportunity to be heard has been given to the Contractor.
F. Upon a finding duly made that the Contractor has breached the Affirmative Action Program provisions of a City Contract, the Contract may be forthwith cancelled, terminated or suspended, in whole or in part, by the Awarding Authority, and all monies due or to become due hereunder may be forwarded to and retained by the City of Los Angeles. In addition thereto, the breach may be the basis for a determination by the Awarding Authority or the Board of Public Works that the Contractor is a non- responsible bidder or proposer pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.40 of this Code. In the event of such determination, the Contractor shall be disqualified from being awarded a contract with the City of Los Angeles for a period of two years, or until the Contractor shall establish and carry out a program in conformance with the provisions hereof.
G. In the event of a finding by the Fair Employment and Housing Commission of the State of California, or the Board of Public Works of the City of Los Angeles, or any court of competent jurisdiction, that the Contractor has been guilty of a willful violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, or the Affirmative Action Program provisions of a City Contract, there may be deducted from the amount payable to the Contractor by the City of Los Angeles under the contract, a penalty of ten dollars for each person for each calendar day on which the person was discriminated against in violation of the provisions of a City Contract.
H. Notwithstanding any other provisions of a City Contract, the City of Los Angeles shall have any and all other remedies at law or in equity for any breach hereof.
I. The Public Works Board of Commissioners shall promulgate rules and regulations through the DAA and provide to the Awarding Authorities electronic and hard copy forms for the implementation of the Affirmative Action Program provisions of City contracts, and rules and regulations and forms shall, so far as practicable, be similar to those adopted in applicable Federal Executive Orders. No other rules, regulations or forms may be used by an Awarding Authority of the City to accomplish this contract compliance program.
J. Nothing contained in City Contracts shall be construed in any manner so as to require or permit any act which is prohibited by law.
K. By affixing its signature to a Contract that is subject to this article, the Contractor shall agree to adhere to the provisions in this article for the duration of the Contract. The Awarding Authority may also require Contractors and suppliers to take part in a pre-registration, pre-bid, pre-proposal, or pre-award conference in order to develop, improve or implement a qualifying Affirmative Action Program.
1. The Contractor certifies and agrees to immediately implement good faith effort measures to recruit and employ minority, women and other potential employees in a non- discriminatory manner including, but not limited to, the following actions as appropriate and available to the Contractor’s field of work. The Contractor shall:
(a) Recruit and make efforts to obtain employees through:
(i) Advertising employment opportunities in minority and other community news media or other publications.
(ii) Notifying minority, women and other community organizations of employment opportunities.
(iii) Maintaining contact with schools with diverse populations of students to notify them of employment opportunities.
(iv) Encouraging existing employees, including minorities and women, to refer their friends and relatives.
(v) Promoting after school and vacation employment opportunities for minority, women and other youth.
(vi) Validating all job specifications, selection requirements, tests, etc.
(vii) Maintaining a file of the names and addresses of each worker referred to the Contractor and what action was taken concerning the worker.
(viii) Notifying the appropriate Awarding Authority and the DAA in writing when a union, with whom the Contractor has a collective bargaining agreement, has failed to refer a minority, woman or other worker.
(b) Continually evaluate personnel practices to assure that hiring, upgrading, promotions, transfers, demotions and layoffs are made in a non-discriminatory manner so as to achieve and maintain a diverse work force.
(c) Utilize training programs and assist minority, women and other employees in locating, qualifying for and engaging in the training programs to enhance their skills and advancement.
(d) Secure cooperation or compliance from the labor referral agency to the Contractor’s contractual Affirmative Action Program obligations.
(e) Establish a person at the management level of the Contractor to be the Equal Employment Practices officer. Such individual shall have the authority to disseminate and enforce the Contractor’s Equal Employment and Affirmative Action Program policies.
(f) Maintain records as are necessary to determine compliance with Equal Employment Practices and Affirmative Action Program obligations and make the records available to City, State and Federal authorities upon request.
(g) Establish written company policies, rules and procedures which shall be encompassed in a company-wide Affirmative Action Program for all its operations and Contracts. The policies shall be provided to all employees, Subcontractors, vendors, unions and all others with whom the Contractor may become involved in fulfilling any of its Contracts.
(h) Document its good faith efforts to correct any deficiencies when problems are experienced by the Contractor in complying with its obligations pursuant to this article. The Contractor shall state:
(i) What steps were taken, how and on what date.
(ii) To whom those efforts were directed.
(iii) The responses received, from whom and when.
(iv) What other steps were taken or will be taken to comply and when.
(v) Why the Contractor has been or will be unable to comply.
2. Every contract of $25,000 or more which may provide construction, demolition, renovation, conservation or major maintenance of any kind shall also comply with the requirements of Section 10.13 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code.
L. The Affirmative Action Program required to be submitted hereunder and the pre-registration, pre-bid, pre-proposal or pre-award conference which may be required by the Awarding Authority shall, without limitation as to the subject or nature of employment activity, be concerned with such employment practices as:
1. Apprenticeship where approved programs are functioning, and other on-the-job training for non-apprenticeable occupations;
2. Classroom preparation for the job when not apprenticeable;
3. Pre-apprenticeship education and preparation;
4. Upgrading training and opportunities;
5. Encouraging the use of Contractors, Subcontractors and suppliers of all racial and ethnic groups; provided, however, that any contract subject to this ordinance shall require the Contractor, Subcontractor or supplier to provide not less than the prevailing wage, working conditions and practices generally observed in private industries in the Contractor’s, Subcontractor’s or supplier’s geographical area for such work;
6. The entry of qualified women, minority and all other journey-level persons into the industry; and
7. The provision of needed supplies or job conditions to permit persons with disabilities to be employed, and minimize the impact of any disability.
M. Any adjustments which may be made in the Contractor’s work force to achieve the requirements of the City’s Affirmative Action Program in purchasing and construction shall be accomplished by either an increase in the size of the work force or replacement of those employees who leave the work force by reason of resignation, retirement or death and not by termination, layoff, demotion or change in grade.
N. This ordinance shall not confer upon the City of Los Angeles or any Agency, Board or Commission thereof any power not otherwise provided by law to determine the legality of any existing collective bargaining agreement and shall have application only to discriminatory employment practices by Contractors engaged in the performance of City Contracts.
O. All Contractors subject to the provisions of this article shall include a similar provision in all subcontracts awarded for work to be performed under the Contract with the City and shall impose the same obligations including, but not limited to, filing and reporting obligations, on the Subcontractors as are applicable to the Contractor. Failure of the Contractor to comply with this requirement or to obtain the compliance of its Subcontractors with all such obligations shall subject the Contractor to the imposition of any and all sanctions allowed by law, including, but not limited to, termination of the Contractor’s Contract with the City.
SECTION HISTORY
Amended by Ord. No. 147,030, Eff. 4-28-75; Subsecs. A., B., C., Ord. No. 164,516, Eff. 4-13-89; Subsecs. B. and C., Ord. No. 168,244, Eff. 10-18-92; Title and Section, Ord. No. 173,186, Eff. 5-22-00; Subsec. F., Ord. No. 173,285, Eff. 6-26-00, Oper. 7-1-00; In Entirety, Ord. No. 184,292, Eff. 6-27-16.
Each awarding authority shall be responsible for giving notice to all prospective bidders of the requirements of this section and when requested by the Office of Contract Compliance, to give the Office of Contract Compliance notice of each contract proposed to be put to public bid or otherwise awarded and if requested shall provide a copy of the bid package to the Office of Contract Compliance for approval. The Office of Contract Compliance shall have a maximum of fifteen (15) calendar days after receipt of notice of imminent announcement for bid to approve the bid package and to advise the awarding authority of its participation in the contract. Lack of response by the Office of Contract Compliance shall not remove any responsibility of the awarding authority to comply with the requirements of this division.
SECTION HISTORY
Amended by Ord. No. 147,030, Eff. 4-28-75.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 147,030, Eff. 4-28-75.
Amended by: Ord. No. 173,285, Eff. 6-26-00, Oper. 7-1-00.
The terms “disability” and “medical condition” as used in this chapter shall be interpreted and construed as they are by federal and State law.
SECTION HISTORY
Added by Ord. No. 168,244, Eff. 10-18-92.
Amended by: Title and Section, Ord. No. 173,186, Eff. 5-22-00.
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