Union oversight ensures equal footing By BRUCE R. DENNIS, president PNRC Carpenters
Many construction projects end up being done with a combination of union and nonunion subcontractors. Some of the nonunion contractors gain their competitive edge by paying their workers less than the "prevailing wage" for the community. This can cause unrest on the job site, resulting in job delays, labor disputes and poor cooperation between contractors.
To address these issues, the construction unions have developed the use of project labor agreements, which guarantee fair wages and benefits for all workers on the project and guarantee that the project is built without disruptions.