With the annual-budget negotiations in Albany now in overtime, blue collar workers are calling on policymakers to pass legislation that will restore accountability and bring effective labor standards to the public university development process. This idea is based on a simple principle: when New York taxpayer funds are used on a project, that investment should go back into New York communities.

Both the Senate and Assembly have included language in their budget proposals that would require project labor agreements (PLA) for largescale SUNY construction projects. A PLA is an agreement that defines wages and work rules for a project and is approved by labor and the awarding public body before the project begins. The purpose of a PLA is to ensure that all construction work is performed efficiently and economically without interruption.

The main rationale for PLAs in the construction industry is stability. By clearly and transparently defining a framework at the start of a project, PLAs prevent work stoppages and establish dispute resolution procedures.

Private construction projects have utilized PLAs for decades. The $265-million Legoland theme park in Goshen was built with union labor under a PLA. So, too, was the $200-million renovation of Morgan Stanley headquarters in Harrison, NY in Westchester County. These are just two recent examples of successful large projects that were built on time and on budget thanks to the efficiencies of PLAs.