PLA's are a helpful construction management tool - Inside Construction - Project labor agreement

Real Estate Weekly, March 24, 2004 by Kristen Thur Plemon

Historically, PLAs have been designed to promote harmony and offer more predictability in construction work, particularly on projects that re quire a massive number of contractors and workers or when time is a crucial factor.

A 2001 report by the California Research Bureau found that, "Owners increasingly want PLAs in order to meet their speed-to-market demands and to ensure against delays that can be caused by worker shortages, worker stoppages, or collective bargaining negotiations." PLAs contain provisions that establish uniform work schedules, work rules, and pay structures; dispute resolution procedures; "no strike," "no lockout," and "no picketing" agreements; and non-discriminatory hiring practices, which all parties are bound to for the length of the PLA. In effect, PLAs safeguard an owner's investment of time and money.

For more information about PLAs or the MCA affiliates, visit mcaproof.com.