Massachusetts agencies in the state's executive branch will need to weigh whether "project labor agreements" or PLAs are needed for public construction projects with a price tag greater than $35 million.
After speaking at a Massachusetts Building Trades Union convention, Gov. Maura Healey signed an executive order designed to promote the use of PLAs.
"PLAs are about locking in a highly skilled, fairly paid workforce," Healey said, "establishing consistent training, safety and labor standards, and creating a pipeline of well-trained workers from communities that have been underrepresented."
The order provides a framework for adhering to language in an economic development law Healey signed last year, which allows municipalities and government entities to enter into PLAs.
Not everyone in favor
Opponents of PLAs contend that project labor agreements can constrain competition and drive up costs by requiring union labor, thereby shrinking the field of potential bidders.
Greg Beeman, CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts, told the State House News Service that Healey's executive order was a solution in search of a problem.
"The premise is as though there's some problem that needs to be solved and PLAs will solve it. But I believe large projects are getting done successfully through a mix of union and non-union contracts every day," Beeman said.
Beeman, whose group represents hundreds of contractors, subcontractors and other companies that employ their own workers directly rather than union laborers, argued that bidders already need to comply with multiple levels of certification, prevailing wage requirements and safety regulations for public projects.
PLAs, under a different governor
In 2021, plans for a new state Veterans Home in Holyoke were being drawn up to replace the original, aged facility that was the site of a deadly COVID-19 outbreak. Nearly 80 veterans died.
Then-Governor Charlie Baker deleted PLA language from the funding bill — put in place to ensure that union labor would be used for the construction of the $400 million facility.
Senate and house lawmakers overrode his veto.
Baker had urged legislators not to require a PLA on the project, arguing it would drive up the overall project cost and also discourage many businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans from bidding on contracts.
Democrats, however, rejected those arguments, and said the Baker administration failed to provide evidence or examples of PLAs negatively impacting construction the way he's described.
Who's doing the work
At Healey's signing Tuesday, Octavia Barr was among several union laborers who currently at work on the new veteran's facility, invited to the event by the governor's office.
Barr is new to construction. "I have a friend that recruited me to become a laborer," Barr said.
She's an apprentice with the Laborers Union Local 999. Her work this past week at the Holyoke veteran's home is with a crew of laborers putting in a window tarping system.
With the union, "we go through a two year apprenticeship," Barr said. "We develop certifications for different things [and] when our two year apprenticeship is over, then we transition over to become journeyman."
Since October, Barr has spent several weeks at different locations being trained how to work with scaffolding, demolition and taking biohazard classes.
The Healey administration rolled out the executive widespread order with support from several organized labor leaders, including Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch and Mass. Building Trades Union President Frank Callahan, as well as representatives from community organizations, construction companies and contractor industry groups.
The State House New Service contributed to this report.
