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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District – Coastal Storm Risk Management for surf City and North Topsail Beach, NC. This is a project labor agreement survey only. This is not a request fo... The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington District – Coastal Storm Risk Management for surf City and North Topsail Beach, NC. 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 U.S. Army 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 and surrounding areas. This market survey is being posted for the Coastal Storm Risk Management at Surf City and North Topsail Beaches in North Carolina. Description of Work: Estimated Quantity: 11,510,000 CY Environmental Window: December 1 – March 31 The work consists of furnishing plant, labor, materials, and equipment to perform dredging, transporting, placing and shaping beach fill and performing all pre and post construction beach surveys. Approximately 10 borrow areas are available for the project and located offshore of Topsail Island Beaches from just west of Surf City to the east end limits of North Topsail Beach. The Surf City and North Topsail Beach Coastal Storm Risk Management Project consists of placing 11,510,000 CY of Dune and Berm beach fill along 28,510 LF of Surf City Beach and 23,075 LF of North Topsail Beach. The beach fill placement will occur over two dredging window seasons. The work will require a U.S. Coast Guard Ocean Certified Hopper Dredge. All beach work will not begin until 1 December and must be completed by 31 March of the following year. The project also consists of extending approximately 30 existing walkover structures in Surf City and approximately 28 existing walkover structures in North Topsail Beach and the stabilization of approximately 148 acres of new dune. 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 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 7 April 2020. Mail, or E-mail your response to U.S. Army Engineer District Wilmington, Attn: CESAW-CT/Ms. Ashley Stewart and Ms. Rosalind M. Shoemaker, 69 Darlington Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403; E-mail – ashley.l.stewart@usace.army.mil and rosalind.m.shoemaker@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.