While speaking at the Washington Building and Construction Trades Council annual convention yesterday (Tue), Governor Bob Ferguson signed an executive order that creates what he calls security and stability for workers and companies tasked with carrying out critical state-funded projects.
Executive Order 25-07 requires large and complex public works projects over $35 million to have Project Labor Agreements for their workers. These pre-hire collective bargaining agreements allow all workers, including subcontractors and regardless of union membership status, to receive fair pay, protections and benefits. Project Labor Agreements also keep projects on track by establishing dispute resolution processes for workers and restricting strikes and lock-outs.
“All workers deserve fair pay and benefits. This executive order provides strong protections for workers on major projects, and predictability for the public,” Ferguson said. “Utilizing Project Labor Agreements on major projects will help promote family-wage jobs, worker safety and on-time delivery of these critical projects.”
Project Labor Agreements protect workers, keep projects on track
Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) are negotiated agreements between a contractor and one or more labor organizations that establish the terms of employment for a specific project.
Under Governor Ferguson’s Executive Order, PLAs on major projects will establish consistent, transparent working conditions and dispute resolution for all workers, including contractors and subcontractors. PLAs are established before any workers are hired on a project, so all workers have a clear understanding of the working conditions for the projects.
PLAs protect workers from issues like wage theft and misclassification through mechanisms such as grievance arbitration. They also make labor costs more predictable and accurate by establishing terms at the outset of the project.
