BILL NUMBER:  AB 1140
  VETOED	DATE: 10/13/2013




To the Members of the California State Assembly:

I am returning Assembly Bill 1140 without my signature.

This measure requires contractors on public works projects to
increase workers' pay any time the state updates its prevailing wage
rates.  This is intended to address the circumstance where a
non-union contractor is not required to adjust wages mid-project but
a union contractor is subject to such adjustments pursuant to a
collective bargaining agreement.

In most cases, projects are bid, awarded and completed in a
relatively short period of time and this measure would have little,
if any impact.  Larger, long term projects are the more likely
setting for the union/non-union wage differential this bill seeks to
address.  Unfortunately, introducing such wage adjustments as
proposed by this measure is likely to lead to uncertainty in the cost
of public works projects and increase costs ultimately borne by the
taxpayers.

Finally, many collective bargaining agreements already address this
limited circumstance by allowing wage rates to remain at the level
determined by the state at the time of the bid, award or start of the
contract.  Given this, I do not find a statutory change warranted to
address the issue raised by this measure.

Sincerely,



Edmund G. Brown Jr.