A Project Labor Agreement requires contractors to hire their workers from the union hiring hall and hire apprentices from union apprenticeship programs. If a contractor is able to hire some of his “core” employees, benefits for those employees are required to be paid into the union trust funds. Non-union contractors have their own employees and retirement and benefits plans and should not be forced to hire union workers in order to bid on a job. 84% of the construction workers in California choose to work for non-union companies. Elected officials need to be held accountable for their decisions to use Project Labor Agreements. As a taxpayer, I want the job done by the best quality contractor for the best price. Because of the PLA requirement, six prequalified contractors were unable to bid the Brentwood Civic Center Project. Sounds like Brentwood lost out on some quality contractors.

The Brentwood Civic Center should only be built if there are bids from qualified contractors. It should not matter if the contractors have union employees or not.

If Brentwood wants to restrict the construction of the Civic Center to union-only contrators and such contractors are more expensive, then the Civic Center should not be built.

Richard Colman
Orinda, CA
Oct. 22, 2009