PLAs required for major Cleveland projects

Photos:

[Left] Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb. [Center] Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb signs an Executive Order mandating Project Labor Agreements on all city-owned projects that cost at least $500,000. [Right]
From left, IBEW Local Mike Muzic, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, IBEW Local 38 member and Cleveland Building Trades Tradeswomen Committee member Emma Varner and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) after Bibb signed his Executive Order regarding Project Labor Agreements for certain city projects

CLEVELAND, SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb issued an Executive Order on Sept. 4 mandating that Project Labor Agreements be used on all city-owned projects that cost more than $500,000.

Bibb signed the Executive Order during a media event at the Operating Engineers Local 18 Union Hall prior to a Cleveland Builds job fair encouraging men and women to enter the local Apprenticeship

Readiness Program.

According to multiple media reports, Bibb called the order important because it will create jobs for union members, and unions create good-paying jobs for Cleveland residents.

“It just guarantees that we make sure that the unions are a part of all the critical infrastructure projects that we’re creating in our city,”he said.

Bibb’s mandate will provide a better return on investment for city projects, as the highly trained members of the building trades efficiently perform high-quality work.

By requiring PLAs on all large city-owned projects, Bibb is ensuring that the projects will be built on time, on budget and without work stoppages.

PLAs, which are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements, establish the terms and conditions of employment for specific construction projects. They promote use of a local union workforce, which helps keep money in the local economy. Additionally, the projects will encourage the hiring of apprentices.

The mayor stressed the need for more Cleveland residents to join the building trades, as the city has neighborhood development plans totaling well over $100 million. That does not include the roughly $5 billion in proposed investments of the city’s waterfront.

Bibb said the $10 million investment the city made in Cleveland Builds last year is now more important as it helps young Clevelanders begin the path toward working in the union construction industry, WEWS-TV reported.

Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary/Business Manager Dave Wondolowski has been talking with Bibb about this policy for a year. He commended the mayor for his decision.

“The Executive Order shows that Mayor Bibb has a great understanding of the building trades, and the benefits associated with being a union member,” said Wondolowski, who also acknowledged this is the most important piece of policy the City has enacted during his tenure leading the Cleveland Building Trades.

The new policy, he stressed, will now place greater pressure on CBCTC-affiliated Local Unions to organize more members and expand apprenticeship programs to ensure there are enough union construction workers available to complete the unprecedented workload forecasted across the jurisdiction.

“It is pivotal to continue the pipeline of union work so that we can continue to grow,” he added.

Bibb’s Executive Order comes roughly 10 months after the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority voted to rescind its mandate requiring Prevailing Wage on projects it funds. Bibb’s order does not cover projects solely funded by the Port Authority.

However, roughly $66 million in capital projects are on the books for fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027, according to the city’s website. Should the city receive federal or state funding, there is the potential for more funds to be spent, creating more work covered by the order.

According to Wondolowski, the Executive Order covers work on all major city-owned property, plus the major renovation of Cleveland Hopkins Airport which he estimates to be a $3.2 billion project.

In December 2023, The Plain Dealer reported that the airport hired a firm to lead the planning for the upcoming rebuild of the aging terminal, which is expected to begin in the next two years.