NEW YORK – The New York City Housing Authority announced on Feb. 29 the signing of the 2024 Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the Building and Construction Trades Council (BCTC) of Greater New York.

As an essential component of NYCHA’s ability to oversee and deliver capital projects, the new PLA establishes consistent work rules for nearly 200 planned projects totaling $2 billion over the next three years, and adds flexibilities to increase Section 3 opportunities for NYCHA residents and other low-income New Yorkers as well as minority and women-owned business enterprises (MWBE). The updated agreement replaces the previous PLA, which was effective since Jan. 1, 2015, and had been extended several times following its initial three-year term. 

“As a blue-collar mayor, but, more importantly, as a former union member, I know firsthand that unions are one of the most effective on-ramps for joining the middle-class,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “With today’s agreement between NYCHA and the Building and Construction Trades Council, we are opening new avenues for economic opportunity and workforce development while advancing one of our most critical policy goals: creating and preserving affordable housing. This essential agreement will build on our administration’s strong pro-union legacy and move the needle for working-class New Yorkers.”

“NYCHA’s PLA is an important step forward for not just getting capital projects done effectively and efficiently, but also ensuring that NYCHA residents benefit from the job opportunities these projects create,” said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. “We are pleased that the 2024 PLA creates new pathways for such employment, and thank the BCTC for negotiating with us on these matters.”

“Amidst New York’s housing challenges, it is critical that NYCHA effectively and efficiently carries out its capital projects in 2024, all while generating family-sustaining union careers for hardworking New Yorkers,” said President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York Gary LaBarbera. “The signing of a Project Labor Agreement is a critical step in this process and ensures that career opportunities will not only be accessible, but also good paying, safe, and dignified. We look forward to working with NYCHA further to streamline these projects and pave a clearer path to the middle class for more tradesmen and tradeswomen within the community.”

Central to the new agreement are enhancements to prioritize Section 3 employment and good-paying career opportunities for NYCHA residents, Section 8 voucher holders, and other low-income New Yorkers. Section 3 is a provision of the federal Housing and Urban Development Act to ensure economic opportunities generated through financial assistance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is directed to low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who are recipients of government assistance for housing or residents of the broader community.  

The 2024 PLA states that the BCTC and unions will reserve at least 50 new apprenticeship positions each year for NYCHA residents through both the general recruitment and direct-entry programs, and will provide NYCHA advance notice prior to opening up general recruitment for apprenticeship programs to ensure NYCHA residents can access these. The agreement also introduces additional flexibility to enable contractors to hire outside of union hiring halls, in particular to meet Section 3 requirements and prioritize employment of NYCHA residents. The agreement also provides greater flexibilities for Section 3 Business Concerns and M/WBEs to gain valuable experience on NYCHA projects covered by the agreement.