As Congress negotiates billions of dollars in potential federal funds for construction through the economic stimulus bill, President Barack Obama moved to bring project labor agreements back as an option on federally funded projects. The president issued an executive order Feb. 6 overturning a Bush administration ban on federal PLAs and opened the door to such pacts on projects of $25 million or more.
The executive order re-instates much of the guidance on PLAs that was in place during the Clinton administration�and could potentially expand their use. The order also keeps a promise to organized labor to advocate for their interests.