Project Labor / Community Workforce Agreements

A Project Labor Agreement (PLA), also known as a Community Workforce Agreement (CWA), is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor unions that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project. Before any workers are hired on the project, construction unions have bargaining rights to determine the wage rates and benefits of all employees working on the particular project and to agree to the provisions of the agreement. The terms of the agreement apply to all contractors and subcontractors who successfully bid on the project, both union and non-union, and supersedes any existing collective bargaining agreements. PLAs are used on both public and private projects, and their specific provisions may be tailored by the signatory parties to meet the needs of a particular project. The agreement may include provisions to prevent any strikes, lockouts, or other work stoppages for the length of the project.

The agreements help reduce overall construction costs by helping to ensure that the work on a covered project will be completed efficiently, cooperatively, economically and without interruption.

They have also served in the best interest of public safety, community involvement and participation through targeted hiring and apprenticeship training, including those individuals with barriers to employment in their background.  Under a Project Labor Agreement, contractors and subcontractors are required to comply with all applicable federal and state laws, ordinances and regulations requiring the payment of prevailing wages.