The Obama administration has proposed rules that would encourage agencies to consider project labor agreements (PLAs) on large projects, including economic-stimulus work. The proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation change, published on July 14, says agencies should consider requiring PLAs on jobs of $25 million or more. It follows President Obama’s Feb. 6 directive overturning the Bush administration’s ban on federal PLAs.
Labor unions lobbied for the rule change in the 2008 presidential campaign. AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Dept. spokesman Tom Owens says the rule will “be a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our value in certain regions of the country where we haven’t been as successful in the private markets.”