Below is typical of what our clients say about us:

May 1, 2008

"As a public school district, the needs are not different from any other
organization that requires excellent service. The internal processes of a local
educational agency impose time constraints due to government reporting
requirements and required internal controls. The Hawthorne School District
(District) has thirteen campuses that service approximately 9,800 students,
for which many public works construction and other capital improvement
projects have been completed. This is the environment in which Kato Cooks
has served as a consultant for the District performing its Labor Compliance
Program (LCP), effective June 11, 2004.

"The work of the contract and labor compliance consultant consists of
monitoring and enforcing labor and apprenticeship requirements
promulgated under labor code section 1771.7 et seq. and representing the
District's interests in field investigations, payment of wages to workers,
audits, and matters related to work delay concerns, employment of properly
registered apprentices, contract deliverables and contract compliance.
Mr. Cooks has exceeded our expectations with his professionalism,
expertise, responsibility and responsiveness."

Ms. Gioconda Padilla, Director of Purchasing, Hawthorne (Calif) School District

OUR BUSINESS APPROACH:

SysTech's typical business approach mirrors that of its employing agency, from the aggressive to the cooperative.  SysTech's general approach, however, is one of collaboration and cooperation.  Full duplex communication is paramount, supporting preemptive and continuing education, consultation, remediation and enforcement.  For SysTech, this begins with a concept preview at the design stage, review of the scope of work, and participation in the job walk/pre-award meeting and job start/post-award meeting. 

In pursuit of LCP objectives, SysTech utilizes a Checklist of Labor Law Requirements in accordance with 8 CCR §16430, both to communicate legal requirements to contractors and to provide an audit trail for compliance activities.  Typical requirements include:

1. Payment of prevailing wage rates
2. Duty to employ registered apprentices
3. Maintenance of accurate, certified payroll records
4. Nondiscrimination in employment
5. Prohibition against kickbacks
6. Prohibition against acceptance of fees
7. Proper licensing with the Contractors State License Board
8. Prohibition against engaging in unfair competition
9. Workers' Compensation insurance
10. Compliance with OSHA regulations
11. Compliance with other state laws, local agency policy, and contract terms and conditions

SysTech reviews certified payroll records weekly for accuracy and completeness, providing to the contractor an opportunity to correct deficiencies and minor errors.  Field interviews of workers, conducted weekly, are reasonably non-invasive and have as an objective the acquisition of data for compliance purposes. 

BRIEF SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS: SysTech is a state-approved labor compliance program third-party administrator under Title 8, California Code of Regulations § 16426 et seq. (California Labor Code § 1771.5) with over thirty-three years of directly related experience. 

SysTech maintains general liability insurance and Errors & Omissions insurance with United States Liability Insurance Company, through Boggs & Whitener Insurance Agency.  Coverage is maintained at $2 million per occurrence/$2 million general aggregate.

SysTech staff complete a minimum of 30 hours of DIR-specific training annually and participate also in labor compliance-related round tables, workshops and conferences convened by other entities. 

Mr. Kato Cooks contributes to the Small Business Exchange newspaper a regular column on public contracting. The column covers public works contracting from a compliance perspective and is instructive. See www.sbeinc.com. 

Mr. Cooks is a sought after speaker on public works topics. Based on the breadth and depth of his experience, he can see  issues from varied perspectives and lend an objective eye to often complex discussions.

SysTech serves transit agencies, school districts, utility districts, law firms, contractors (both union and non-union),  labor-management trusts, and union locals. As a managing investigator, Mr. Cooks has been assigned liaison to the LACMTA Office of Inspector General as a forensics specialist and has supported waste, fraud and abuse investigations brought by the federal DOT OIG.

Let us serve you.

Who We Are

SysTech holds organizational memberships in the National Contract Management Association, the Southern California Compliance Officers Association, and the Bay Area Contract Compliance Officers Association (www.BACCOA.net).

SysTech staff includes:

Lawrence "Larry" Cooks, senior field specialist: Larry has over 30 years experience that includes work as a communications technician, a journeyman laborer specializing in demolition, concrete coring, and shoring & trenching, and labor compliance program field investigator. Larry has worked in labor compliance since 1996. 

 Reginald "Reggie" Cosey, field interviewer: Reggie has ten years construction experience as a demolition laborer and has worked with SysTech since 2004.

 Priscilla Robertson-Gresham, field specialist, is Spanish-English bilingual and has three years U.S. Army experience in supply chain management and three years experience in transportation logistics and site security. Ms. Ayala joined SysTech in early 2008.

Ty Chim, administrative analyst, is English-Khmer-Thai-Mandarin-Vietnamese-Laotian multilingual and has worked with SysTech since 2005. Ms. Chim performs paralegal research functions with SysTech.