Chapter 2.32 — EQUAL BENEFITS ORDINANCE

This chapter shall be known as the "Equal Benefits Ordinance." The purpose of this chapter is to protect and further the public, health, safety, convenience, comfort, property and general welfare by requiring that public funds be expended in a manner so as to prohibit discrimination in the provision of employee benefits by city contractors between employees with spouses and employees with domestic partners, and/or between domestic partners and spouses of such employees.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

For the purposes of this chapter,

"Contract" means an agreement for public works or improvements to be performed, or for goods or services to be purchased or grants to be provided, at the expense of the city or to be paid out of moneys deposited in the treasury or out of trust money under the control or collected by the city and does not include property contracts or contracts for an aggregate amount less than twenty-five thousand dollars (twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) per vendor in each fiscal year.

"Contractor" means any person or persons, firm, partnership, corporation, or combination thereof, who enters into a contract or property contract with the city.

"Domestic partner" means any person who has a currently registered domestic partnership with a governmental body pursuant to state or local law authorizing such registration.

"Property contract" means a written agreement for the exclusive use or occupancy of real property for a term exceeding twenty-nine days in any calendar year, whether by singular or cumulative instrument, (1) for the operation or use by others of real property owned or controlled by the city for the operation of a business, social, or other establishment or organization, including leases, concessions, franchises and easements, or (2) for the city's use or occupancy of real property owned by others, including leases, concessions, franchises and easements. For the purposes of this chapter, "exclusive use" means the right to use or occupy real property to the exclusion of others, other than the right reserved by the fee owner. "Property contract" shall not include a revocable at-will use or encroachment permit for the use of or encroachment on city property regardless of the ultimate duration of such permit, except that "property contract" shall include such permits granted to a private entity for the use of city property for the purpose of a for-profit activity. "Property contract" shall also not include street excavation, street construction or street use permits, agreements for the use of city right-of-way where a contracting utility has the power of eminent domain, or agreements governing the use of city property which constitutes a public forum for activities that are primarily for the purpose of espousing or advocating causes or ideas and that are generally recognized as protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, or which are primarily recreational in nature.

"Employee benefits" means the provision of bereavement leave; disability, life, and other types of insurance; family medical leave; health benefits; membership or membership discounts; moving expenses; pension and retirement benefits; vacation; travel benefits; and any other benefits given to employees.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

A.

The following contractors are subject to this chapter:

Entities which enter into a "contract" with the city for an amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) or more for public works or improvements to be performed, or for goods or services to be purchased or grants to be provided at the expense of the city or to be paid out of moneys deposited in the treasury or out of trust moneys under the control of or collected by the city; and

Entities which enter into a "property contract" pursuant to Section 2.32.020(D) with the city in an amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) or more for the exclusive use of or occupancy (1) of real property owned or controlled by the city or (2) of real property owned by others for the city's use or occupancy, for a term exceeding twenty-nine (29) days in any calendar year.

B.

The requirements of the chapter shall only apply to those portions of a contractor's operations that occur (1) within the city; (2) on real property outside the city if the property is owned by the city or if the city has a right to occupy the property, and if the contract's presence at that location is connected to a contract with

the city; and (3) elsewhere in the United States where work related to a city contract is being performed. The requirements of this chapter shall not apply to subcontracts or subcontractors of any contract or contractor.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

A.

The City Manager shall not execute or amend any contract or property contract with any contractor that discriminates in the provision of bereavement leave; disability, life, and other types of insurance; family medical leave; health benefits; membership or membership discounts; moving expenses; pension and retirement benefits; vacation; travel benefits; and any other benefits given to employees between employees with domestic partners and employees with spouses, and/or between the domestic partners and spouses of such employees, where the domestic partnership has been registered with a governmental entity pursuant to State or local law authorizing such registration, subject to the following conditions:

In the event the actual cost of providing a certain benefit for the domestic partner of an employee exceeds that of providing it for the spouse of an employee, or the contractor's actual cost of providing a certain benefit for the spouse of an employee exceeds that of providing it for the domestic partner of an employee, the contractor shall not be deemed to discriminate in the provision of benefits if the contractor conditions providing such benefit upon the employee agreeing to pay the excess costs;

In the event a contractor is unable to provide a certain benefit, despite taking reasonable measures to do so, the contractor shall not be deemed to discriminate in the provision of benefits if the contractor provides the employee with a cash equivalent;

The contractor shall not be deemed to be engaging in discrimination in the provision of employee benefits if the contractor provides benefits neither to employees' spouses nor to employees' domestic partners.

B.

A contractor will not be deemed to be engaging in discrimination in the provision of benefits when the implementation of policies ending discrimination in benefits is delayed following the first award of a city contract to a contractor after the effective date of this chapter:

Until the first effective date after the first open enrollment process following the date the contract with the city is executed, provided that the contractor submits evidence that it is making reasonable efforts to end discrimination in benefits. This delay may not exceed two (2) years from the date the contract with the city is executed and only applies to benefits for which an open enrollment process is applicable;

Until administrative steps can be taken to incorporate nondiscrimination in benefits in the contractor's infrastructure. The time allotted for these administrative steps shall apply only to those benefits for which administrative steps are necessary and may not exceed three (3) months. An extension of this time may be granted at the discretion of the city Manager upon the written request of a contractor, setting forth the reasons that additional time is required;

Until the expiration of a contractor's current collective bargaining agreement(s) where all of the following conditions have been met:

a.

The provision of benefits is governed by one or more collective bargaining agreement(s); and

b.

The contractor takes all reasonable measures to end discrimination in benefits by either requesting that the union(s) involved agree to reopen the agreement(s) in order for the contractor to take whatever steps are necessary to end discrimination in benefits or by ending discrimination in benefits without reopening the collective bargaining agreement(s); and

c.

In the event that the contractor cannot end discrimination in benefits despite taking all reasonable measures to do so, the contractor provides a cash equivalent to eligible employees for whom benefits are not available. Unless otherwise authorized, in writing by the City Manager, this cash equivalent payment must begin at the time the union(s) refuse to allow the collective bargaining agreement(s) to be reopened, or in any case no longer than three (3) months from the date the contract with the city was executed. This cash equivalent payment shall not be required where it is prohibited by federal labor law.

C.

Employers subject to this chapter pursuant to Section 2.32.030 shall give written notification to each current and new employee of his or her potential rights under this chapter in a form specified by the city. Such notice shall also be posted prominently in areas where it may be seen by all employees.

D.

Contractors shall treat as confidential to the maximum extent allowed by law or the requirements of contractor's insurance provider any request by an employee for domestic partner or spousal benefits or any documentation of eligibility for domestic partner or spousal benefits submitted by an employee.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

Every contract subject to this chapter shall contain provisions requiring it to comply with the provisions of this chapter as they exist on the date when the contractor entered the contract with the city or when such contract is amended. Such contract provisions may include but need not be limited to the contractor's duty to promptly provide to the city documents and information verifying its compliance with the requirements of this chapter and sanctions for noncompliance.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

A.

The City Manager may waive the requirements of this chapter under the following circumstances:

There is only one prospective contractor willing to enter into a property contract with the city for use of city property on the terms and conditions established by the city, or the needed goods, services, construction services for a public work or improvement, or interest in or right to use real property are available only from a sole source and the prospective contractor is not currently disqualified from doing business with the city, or from doing business with any governmental agency based on any contract compliance requirements;

The contract or property contract is necessary to respond to an imminent emergency which endangers the public health or safety;

The contract involves specialized litigation such that it would be in the best interests of the city to waive the requirement of this chapter;

B.

This chapter shall not apply where the prospective contractor is a public entity and the City Manager finds that goods, services, construction services for a public work or improvement or interest in or right to use real property of comparable quality or accessibility as are available under the proposed contract or property contract are not available from another source, or that the proposed contract or property contract is necessary to serve a substantial public interest.

C.

This chapter shall not apply where the requirements of this chapter will violate or are inconsistent with the terms or conditions of a grant, subvention or agreement with a public agency or the instructions of an authorized representative of any such agency with respect to any such grant, subvention or agreement;

D.

After taking all reasonable measures to find an entity that complies with the law the City Manager may waive any or all of the requirements of this chapter for any contract, property contract or bid package

advertised and made available to the public, or any competitive or sealed bids received by the city as of the date of the enactment of this ordinance under the following circumstances:

Where there are no qualified responsive bidders or prospective contractors who could be certified as being in compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the contract or property contract is for goods, a service or a project that is essential to the city or city residents; or

Where the requirements of this chapter would result in the city's entering into a contract with an entity that was set up, or is being used, for the purpose of evading the intent of this chapter, which is to prohibit the city from entering into contracts with entities that discriminate based on the criteria set forth in this chapter; or

Where transactions entered into pursuant to bulk purchasing arrangements through federal, state or regional entities which actually reduce the city's purchasing costs would be in the best interest of the city.

E.

This chapter shall not apply to (1) the investment of trust moneys or agreements relating to the management of trust assets, (2) city moneys invested in U.S. government securities or under pre-existing investment agreements, or (3) the investment of city moneys where the City Treasurer finds that:

No person, entity or financial institution doing business in the city and county which is in compliance with this chapter is capable of performing the desired transaction(s); or

The city will incur a financial loss which, in the opinion of the City Treasurer, would violate his or her fiduciary duties.

This subparagraph E shall be subject to the requirement that the city moneys shall be withdrawn or divested at the earliest possible maturity date if deposited or invested with a person, entity or financial institution other than the U.S. government which does not comply with this chapter.

F.

Nothing in this section shall limit the right of the City Council to waive the provisions of this chapter.

G.

The requirements of this chapter shall not be applicable to contracts executed or amended prior to the effective date of this chapter, or to bid packages advertised and made available to the public, or any competitive or sealed bids received by the city prior to the effective date of this chapter, unless and until

such contracts are amended after the effective date of this chapter and would otherwise be subject to this chapter.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

A.

No employer shall retaliate or discriminate against its employee in his or her terms and conditions of employment by reason of the person's status as an employee protected by the requirements of this chapter.

B.

No employer shall retaliate or discriminate against a person in his or her terms and conditions of employment by reason of the person reporting a violation of this chapter or for prosecuting an action for enforcement of this chapter.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

A.

An employee who alleges violation of any provision of the requirements of this chapter may report such acts to the city. The City Manager may establish a procedure for receiving and investigating such complaints and taking appropriate action.

B.

The city shall have the power to examine a contractor's benefit programs covered by this chapter.

C.

Any complaints received shall be treated as confidential matters to the extent permitted by law. Any complaints received and all investigation documents related thereto shall be deemed exempt from disclosure pursuant to California Government Code Sections 6354 and 6255.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

A.

The City Manager shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations, in accordance with this chapter and the Administrative Code of the City of Oakland, establishing standards and procedures for effectively carrying out this chapter.

B.

Upon a finding by the City Manger that a contractor has violated the requirements of this chapter, the city shall have the rights and remedies described in this section, in addition to any rights and remedies provided by law or in equity;

Suspension and/or termination of said contract, property contract or financial assistance agreement for cause;

Repayment of any or all of the contract amount or financial assistance disbursed by the city;

The City Manager may deem the entity ineligible for future city contacts and/or financial assistance until all penalties and restitution have been paid in full;

Impose a fine or liquidated damages payable to the city in the sum of fifty dollars ($50) for each person for each calendar day during which such person was discriminated against in violation of the provisions of this chapter;

Seek recovery of reasonable attorney's fees and costs necessary for enforcement of this chapter.

C.

An employee claiming violation of this chapter may bring an action in the appropriate division of the Superior Court of the State of California against an employer and obtain the following remedies:

Reinstatement, injunctive relief, compensatory damages and punitive damages;

Reasonable attorney's fees and costs.

D.

Notwithstanding any provision of the chapter or any other chapter to the contrary, no criminal penalties shall attach for any violation of this chapter.

E.

No remedy set forth in this chapter is intended to be exclusive or a prerequisite for asserting a cause of action to enforce any rights hereunder in a court of law. This chapter shall not be construed to limit an employee's right to bring a common law cause of action for wrongful termination.

F.

Nothing in this chapter shall be interpreted to authorize a right of action against the city.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

If any of the provisions of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this chapter, including the application of such part or provisions to persons or circumstances other than those to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, the provisions of this chapter are severable.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to any contract awarded on or after July 1, 2002.

(Ord. 12394 (part), 2001)