Loudoun County Study Concludes PLAs are Not Beneficial
On February 7, 2023, a working group comprised of staff from the Loudoun County Departments of Finance & Budget (DFB), Transportation and Capital Infrastructure (DTCI), General Services (DGS), and the County Attorney’s Office (CAO) presented a review of Project Labor Agreements to the Board of Supervisors.
February 8, 2023
“Loudoun County would not benefit from implementing project labor agreements for major public works projects, according to a study presented to the board of supervisors Tuesday. The news came to the visible frustration of some board members who have supported efforts to use project-specific collective bargaining agreements for some county contracts.”
The working group recommended against the inclusion of PLAs on Loudoun construction projects. Among other things, the working group concluded:
“Consequently, staff does not recommend implementing PLAs at this time...”
“PLAs reduce or eliminate bidding participation by minority- and woman-owned businesses in bidding for public works.”
“Similar studies by the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the New Jersey Department of Labor estimate PLAs added 20 percent to project costs.”
Read the study