Cleveland Mayor signs Project Labor Agreement Executive Order

Mandates PLAs on all city-owned construction projects costing $500,000 or more

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb signed an Executive Order on Sept. 4 mandating that Project Labor Agreements will be used on all City-owned projects that cost $500,000 or more.

Bibb signed the Executive Order during a press conference at the Operating Engineers Local 18 Union Hall prior to a Cleveland Builds job fair that looked to bring in men and women into the Apprenticeship Readiness Program.

The Executive Order will create hundreds of jobs for the regions construction workers, including members of Roofers and Waterproofers Local 44.

According to multiple media reports, Bibb called the order important because it will create jobs for union members and unions create good-paying jobs for Cleveland residents.

“It just guarantees that we make sure that the unions are a part of all the critical infrastructure projects that we’re creating in our city,” he told reporters.

Bibb’s decision will help provide a better return on investment for City projects, as members of the building trades are highly skilled and highly trained, which allows them to efficiently perform high-quality work on all projects.

The mayor stressed the need for more Cleveland residents to join a building trades Local Union, as the City has neighborhood development plans totaling well over $100 million, plus, there is roughly $5 billion worth of investments set for the City’s waterfront.

WEWS-TV reported that Bibb said the $10 million investment the City made in Cleveland Builds last year is now more important as it helps young Clevelanders begin the path toward working in the union construction industry, which is facing a worker shortage.

Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary/Business Manager Dave Wondolowski had been talking with Bibb about this policy for a year and commended the mayor for his decision.

“The Executive Order shows that Mayor Bibb has a great understanding of the building trades and the benefits associated with being a union member,” said Wondolowski, who also acknowledged this is the most important piece of policy the City has enacted during his tenure leading the Cleveland Building Trades.

The new policy, he stressed, will now place greater pressure on CBCTC-affiliated Locals Unions to recruit more members to perform an unprecedented workload in the jurisdiction.

“It is pivotal to continue the pipeline of union work so that we can continue to grow our unions,” he said.

Bibb’s Executive Order comes roughly 10 months after the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority voted to rescind its mandate for Prevailing Wage on projects it funds.

While it does not cover projects solely funded by the Port Authority, the Executive Order covers projects funded by the City of Cleveland. According to the City’s website, roughly $66 million in capital projects are needed in fiscal years 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Should the City receive federal or state funding, there is the potential for more funds to be spent.

According to Wondolowski, the Executive Order covers all city-owned property, plus the major renovation of Hopkins Airport which he estimates to be a $3.2 billion project.

In December 2023, The Plain Dealer reported that the airport hired a firm to lead the planning for the upcoming rebuild of the aging terminal, which is expected to begin in the next two years.