EO Standardizes Employment Terms And Conditions

 

Washington, D.C. – February 4, 2022 – North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement in support of the White House Executive Order requiring project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal infrastructure projects:

“Today’s announcement is welcome news for all workers, union and nonunion. Project labor agreements address labor supply issues, secure workers’ classification, set good wages, promote strong health and safety standards, and ensure that large-scale projects are completed on time, with the highest degree of quality, efficiency, and safety.

“The PLA benefits for workforce development are unparalleled. PLAs support well-paying job creation, increase apprenticeship and improve local hiring goals to transition more workers into construction careers. Moreover, pre-apprenticeship requirements in PLAs help avail thousands of women, people of color and veterans access construction career pathways. As a result, these agreements are proven to boost local economies, address inequities and uplift marginalized communities, and achieve substantial, direct cost savings by standardizing contract terms among various crafts.  Indeed, many blue-chip companies such as Microsoft, Google, Toyota, Disney and others have recognized the value of using PLAs for their construction projects.

“The inclusion of project labor agreements will protect the public’s interest, improve worker opportunities, and enhance the competitive market by creating a uniform and stable system of labor relations for projects.”

###