(a) A bidder shall declare as part of the bid for a service contract whether or not the bidder will retain the employees of the prior contractor or subcontractor for a period of not less than 90 days, as provided in this chapter, if awarded the service contract.

(b) An awarding authority letting a service contract out to bid shall give a 10-percent preference to any bidder who agrees to retain the employees of the prior contractor or subcontractor pursuant to subdivision (a).

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(c) (1) If the awarding authority announces that it intends to let a service contract out to bid, the existing service contractor, within a reasonable time, shall provide to the awarding authority the number of employees who are performing services under the service contract and the wage rates, benefits, and job classifications of those employees. In addition, the existing service contractor shall make this information available to any entity that the awarding authority has identified as a bona fide bidder. This information shall be made available to each bona fide bidder in writing at least 30 days before bids for the service contract are due, whether by inclusion of the information in the request for bids or otherwise. If the successor service contract is awarded to a new contractor, the existing contractor shall provide the names, addresses, dates of hire, wages, benefit levels, and job classifications of employees to the successor contractor. The duties imposed by this subdivision shall be contained in all service contracts.

(2) A successor contractor or subcontractor who agrees to retain employees pursuant to subdivision (a) shall retain employees who have been employed by the prior contractor or subcontractors, except for reasonable and substantiated cause. That cause is limited to the particular employee’s performance or conduct while working under the prior contract or the employee’s failure of any controlled substances and alcohol test, physical examination, criminal background check required by law as a condition of employment, or other standard hiring qualification lawfully required by the successor contractor or subcontractor.

(3) The successor contractor or subcontractor shall make a written offer of employment to each employee to be retained pursuant to subdivision (a). That offer shall state the time within which the employee must accept that offer, but in no case less than 10 days. This section does not require the successor contractor or subcontractor to pay the same wages or offer the same benefits provided by the prior contractor or subcontractor.

(4) If, at any time, the successor contractor or subcontractor determines that fewer employees are required than were required under the prior contract or subcontract, the successor contractor or subcontractor shall retain qualified employees by seniority within the job classification. In determining those employees who are qualified, the successor contractor or subcontractor may require an employee to possess any license that is required by law to operate the equipment that the employee will operate as an employee of the successor contractor or subcontractor.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 561, Sec. 143. (AB 1516) Effective January 1, 2018.)