Project Labor Agreements build stronger communities

PLAs are not new. They are time-tested collective bargaining agreements between building and construction trade unions and contractors that govern the terms and conditions of employment for all workers — union and nonunion alike — on a construction site. From bridges and hospitals to housing and clean energy infrastructure, PLAs have helped deliver complex projects on time and on budget for generations.

At their core, PLAs are tools for coordination, stability and fairness. They require that all contractors and subcontractors abide by the same standards, ensuring that no firm cuts corners by underpaying workers or skirting safety rules. They promote the use of registered apprentices, open doors to underrepresented communities, and include local hire provisions that put San Mateo County residents to work on projects in their own neighborhoods.

Union apprenticeship programs — centrally embedded in most PLAs — are among the most rigorous and respected workforce development pipelines in the country. They combine classroom instruction with paid, on-the-job training and cost apprentices nothing. In California, these programs have built a diverse, highly skilled construction workforce. As of 2023, nearly 80% of all registered apprentices in the state are in union programs, with growing participation by people of color and women — more than 60% of union apprentices identify as Black, Latino, Asian or Indigenous, and initiatives continue to improve gender equity in trades long dominated by men.

Locally, our Trades Introduction Program, run by the San Mateo Labor Council and San Mateo County Building Trades Council since 2014, reflects these values in action. TIP is a free, 130-hour apprenticeship readiness program that prepares local residents — especially those from underrepresented backgrounds — for careers in the building trades. Graduates leave the program with essential certifications, hands-on experience, and enhanced entry opportunities into union apprenticeships. It’s a model for how PLAs and related programs can be leveraged to break cycles of poverty, provide real career pathways and build a construction workforce that reflects the diversity of our region.

A PLA contains specific, baseline protections. These include:

· A collective bargaining agreement covering all building trades on the project;

· Binding terms for all contractors and subcontractors;

· Guarantees against strikes, lockouts or work stoppages;

· Clear, fast and fair dispute resolution procedures;

· Prevailing wage provisions to ensure fair compensation; and

· Use of registered apprentices to support the next generation of skilled workers.

These aren’t theoretical benefits. PLAs are practical solutions that bring real results. They offer a structured, enforceable framework that reduces uncertainty and risk for developers while ensuring that workers receive fair wages and are afforded safe working conditions.

PLAs also benefit private developers by helping manage large, complex builds. The universal terms of a PLA streamline project management by simplifying the rules and expectations for everyone on-site. They minimize costly delays due to labor disputes, create a consistent workforce pipeline through apprenticeship programs, and provide clear avenues for addressing any issues that arise during construction. These agreements create predictability in a historically unpredictable industry.

But beyond the blueprints and budgets, PLAs represent a community investment. They provide pathways into the middle class for veterans, women, people of color and others traditionally left behind by the construction industry. They lift up neighborhoods by ensuring local workers benefit from local projects. And they uphold the promise that public dollars — or publicly approved projects — should create public good.

In San Mateo County, where affordability and opportunity are constant concerns, we believe in raising standards, not racing to the bottom. Project Labor Agreements are a value-add — for workers, for developers and for our entire community. Whether on public infrastructure or private developments, PLAs help us build not just buildings, but futures.

We urge our local cities, school boards, agencies and developers to embrace PLAs as a proven tool for inclusive economic growth, workforce development and construction excellence, and we stand ready to partner with you all.

Julie Lind is the executive officer of the San Mateo Labor Council and Bart Pantoja is the business manager of the San Mateo Building Trades Council.