Timothy Ford Quoted In Law 360 Article, “NJ Apprenticeship Rule May Be Heavy Lift For Contractors”

As seen in Law360, January 16, 2019

“New Jersey contractors may soon face tough choices if the governor signs a bill requiring apprenticeship programs for those working on government construction projects, yet some may be able to avoid its effects for a year or two, attorneys say.

Bill A-3666, which easily passed the state legislature in mid-December, requires contractors registering with the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development to show that their workers have completed or are participating in an apprenticeship program approved by the federal government. Such programs combine classroom work with hands-on training to prepare people for jobs as electricians, plumbers and other skilled trades.

Gov. Phil Murphy has until the end of the month to sign or veto the bill.

But because there’s nothing in the bill that would force currently registered companies to comply — only those that are in the process of registering — contractors with a registration up for renewal in the first couple of months of 2019 can buy themselves some time, as registrations can last up to two years, lawyers said.

If Murphy signs the bill, which he is expected to do, it won’t take effect for 90 days, so companies that can renew before then are encouraged to do so as soon as possible, said Russell J. McEwan, a shareholder at Littler Mendelson PC. Other attorneys said the same.

“Do it now,” Timothy J. Ford, a partner at Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost & Botwinick, PC, said of renewal. “Do it before it even becomes enacted, and do it before it becomes effective.””

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