Community Workforce Provisions in Project Labor Agreements: A Tool for Building Middle-Class Careers

“This report presents results of a national study of PLAs, consisting of content analysis of more than 185 agreements and a survey of Building Trades Councils from across the U.S. This study found that PLAs and CWAs can constitute an effective overarching framework for enforcing laws and regulations that promote equal employment and career opportunities for residents of low income communities, women, minorities, and disadvantaged or at risk populations.”

“This present study focuses on the community development impacts of PLAs and CWAs by exploring the following key research and policy questions:

• Can PLAs or CWAs be a tool for helping create middle-class careers in the U.S. construction industry?

• To what extent have PLAs across the country incorporated the key elements of CWAs(targeted hiring and other social investment provisions)?

• What are key contributing factors for the effective implementation of CWAs?” (p.2). (Abstractor: Author). 

• “In similarity with previous studies that examined other elements of project labor agreements, this study found that there is no “one size fits all” for community workforce provisions” (p.39). • “This study also finds that PLAs/CWAs are becoming more comprehensive, including more community workforce provisions during recent years than prior to 2004. This indicates that employment and training opportunities have been provided to an increased number of communities over the last 5 to 6 years” (p.39). • “The experience with the Cleveland, Washington, DC, and New York City PLAs indicate that pre-apprenticeship[[OK? It’s hyphenated later in the paragraph]] programs are key contributing factors to successful implementation, and that unions can play an essential role in utilizing their own structures to assist community-based pre-apprenticeship programs when these lack the capacity to meet targets” (p.39). • “The three case examples presented in this report as well as previous studies, demonstrate that the real test of the effectiveness of community workforce provisions is in the implementation. Recognizing the need for further research on outcomes, this study finds that PLAs with community workforce provisions can be effective tools for promoting employment and career paths for communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in this industry” (p.39). (Abstractor: Author)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2011
• Author(s): Figueroa, Maria; Grabelsky, Jeff; Lamare, Ryan
• Organizational Author(s): Cornell University, ILR School
• Funding Source: American Rights at Work Fund
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies