Major infrastructure decisions rarely come easily in New Jersey.
The Newark Bay Bridge has been debated, revised and scrutinized for years by transportation officials, elected leaders, community advocates and industry stakeholders. Projects of this scale almost always involve tough conversations about cost, safety, traffic and community impact.
But one element of Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s recommendation for the project stands out as a clear and important step forward: her decision to require project labor agreements for the work.
That decision deserves recognition.
New Jersey is preparing to undertake one of the largest transportation investments in its history. The $6.7 billion Newark Bay Bridge replacement will support an estimated 19,000 jobs and ensure that one of the region’s most critical transportation links continues serving commuters, businesses and freight traffic for decades to come.
With that level of investment, the public deserves confidence that the work will be done safely, efficiently and with the highest standards of quality. Project labor agreements help make that possible.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a project labor agreement, or PLA, is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement that establishes wages, work rules, employment conditions and dispute resolution procedures for a specific construction project. The agreement applies to every contractor and subcontractor working on the job. The work is in no way restricted to unions. In fact, any qualified contractor — union or non-union — can bid on and win PLA-covered projects.
In practical terms, PLAs function as construction management tools for large and complex projects, and they have been around forever.
They create stability and predictability by standardizing labor terms across contractors and establishing clear rules before the first shovel hits the ground. They also include provisions that prevent work stoppages and provide mechanisms to resolve disputes quickly so projects stay on schedule.
That coordination and those benefits are especially important on large infrastructure projects involving thousands of workers, multiple contractors and tight construction timelines.
PLAs also help ensure that projects have access to a reliable, highly skilled local workforce. Union construction apprenticeship programs like the ones offered by the Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters provide some of the most rigorous craft training in the country, producing workers who are prepared to build complex infrastructure safely and efficiently. That experience matters on projects like the Newark Bay Bridge replacement.
Research backs that up.
A landmark study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute found that union construction workers are about 14 percent more productive than nonunion workers and that projects using union labor tend to see better cost and schedule performance.
In other words, skilled labor and good planning deliver better results. Not just for contractors, but for you, the taxpayers.
New Jersey is entering a period when large public works projects will shape the state’s future. From transportation upgrades to port improvements and major transit investments, billions of dollars will flow into construction across the state in the years ahead.
These projects must be delivered safely, responsibly and with the highest standards of workmanship.
That requires skilled workers and clear expectations from the start.
Gov. Sherrill’s decision to require project labor agreements for the Newark Bay Bridge program reflects an understanding of what it takes to deliver complex infrastructure projects successfully.
After years of debate about how best to move this project forward, her administration has made it clear that the work will be done with the professionalism, coordination and craftsmanship that New Jersey residents expect.
For a project that will shape the region’s transportation system for generations, that is exactly the right approach.
Cyndie Williams is executive director of the Carpenter Contractor Trust, which represents union construction contractors and promotes policies that strengthen New Jersey’s infrastructure and skilled workforce.
