Projects labor agreements are a form of collective bargaining agreement, generally between a local building trades council, or a group of unions, a general contractor and sometimes the end-user of the project. PLAs are often limited in scope and duration to a particular project, or similarly financed projects, such as school construction.
PLAs often provide specific terms and conditions of employment, such as rates of pay and working hours that must be observed by employees on the project. In some instances they will incorporate by reference the terms of local union collective bargaining agreements, which may mandate the use of local union hiring halls to secure employees. Commonly they have ‘no strike’ provisions and provide for an arbitration mechanism to adjust labor disputes. Certain PLAs have incorporated goals or requirements of hiring members in the local community and under-represented groups such as women, minorities and veterans. PLAs sometimes may exclude from their scope off-site construction and fabrication, such as fabrication of ductwork.