03/04/2008 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

        SB 276-STATE CONSTRUCT'N PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of SB 276.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:28:25 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BUNDE  noted an  amendment  to  SB  276 to  address  the                                                               
concerns by Senator French the  last time the committee discussed                                                               
the bill to make sure people have accurate information.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:29:16 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BUNDE  moved Amendment  1, labeled  25-LS1247\M.1, Wayne,                                                               
as follows:                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
    Page 2, following line 9:                                                                                                   
    Insert a new subsection to read:                                                                                            
         "(c)  An employer or labor representative who                                                                          
    participates in  or administers a  fringe benefits  program                                                                 
    that is available  for selection by  an employee under  (b)                                                                 
    of this  section shall provide  to the  employee a  written                                                                 
    description of  the fringe  benefits program  within seven                                                                  
    days after a request by the employee."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
    Reletter the following subsection accordingly.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
    Page 2, line 28, following "agreement;":                                                                                
         Insert "an employer or labor representative who                                                                    
    administers a  fringe benefits  program that  is available                                                              
    for selection  by an  employee under  this paragraph shall                                                              
    provide the  employee  with a  written description  of  the                                                             
    fringe benefits program within  seven days after a request                                                              
    by the employee;"                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH objected.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BUNDE said Amendment 1  requires that an employee under a                                                               
project work  agreement is informed  within the first  seven days                                                               
of employment detailing union and non-union benefit plans.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH removed his objection, and Amendment 1 passed.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE  said the  bill  gives  people  who work  under  a                                                               
project labor agreement an opportunity  to be vested in the union                                                               
benefit plan  if it is  the most  beneficial or to  continue with                                                               
the  benefit plan  of  their employer.  During  the Trans  Alaska                                                               
Pipeline project, people went to  work and they were not employed                                                               
long enough  to vest. There has  been a change. In  those days it                                                               
was a ten-year vesting period and  now it is five. But five years                                                               
is quite a  long time, so it  may be in a  person's best interest                                                               
to continue with their non-union program.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:32:04 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BUNDE moved to report  SB 276, as amended, from committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal  note(s).                                                               
There being no objection, CSSB 276(STA) passed out of committee.