School district considers project labor agreements

Terry Webster

Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

Clark County School District officials are considering the use of a project labor agreement for contractors working on school projects.

A project labor agreement, which is signed before a firm is hired, would set ground rules for how all contractors would operate on school construction sites.

An ad hoc panel of the district's Bond Oversight Committee Tuesday agreed to send a report on the proposal to the entire group. If the committee approves it, the plan would be presented to the School Board.

The report was a study conducted for the district by Resolution Management Consultants Inc., which pointed out advantages and disadvantages of project labor agreements.

Advocates of project labor agreements say they standardize conditions and wages, eliminate wage rate violations and eliminate work stoppages, according to the study.

Opponents argue that project labor agreements limit competition, drive up construction costs and are inefficient.

James Sala, director of the Carpenters Union, said he is in favor of project labor agreements, but he made several criticisms of the report. The consulting firm produced a 20-page report of answers to questions from Sala and representatives of other contracting unions.

Sala said portions of the report are based on opinion, yet are presented as fact.

One portion of the report indicates areas that should be considered in assessing taxpayer advantages.

The first one is administrative salaries and benefits relating to project labor agreements, which could cost the district about $200,000 for two people, said consultant Paul Hains.

Also, the district would have to draft a project labor agreement and negotiate with the trade unions.

Another report by Resolution Management Consultants points out that the school district has typically referred labor issues to the state Labor Commission.

"(Project Labor Agreements) will definitely place the Clark County School District in the labor relations business," the report states.