WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to the Building and Construction Trades Department, the organization has scored another victory to uphold the use of Project Labor Agreement (PLAs) on public works projects.
On Dec. 27, 2002, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision striking down a 1999 Ohio law that prohibited public authorities from using PLAs on public works projects within the state. The Court held that the Ohio statute was in conflict with, and preempted by, the National Labor Relations Act. The lawsuit had been brought by the Ohio State and Cleveland Building and Construction Trade Councils, which were supported in the litigation by the Building and Construction Trades Department.