Template revised September 22, 2016.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
8q
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
December 10, 2024
DATE: December 10, 2024
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Matthew Bullock, Labor Relations Manager
SUBJECT: Project labor Agreement Between the Port of Seattle and the Seattle County
Building and Construction Trades Council (SBT), and Western States Regional
Council of Carpenters
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute a new project labor
agreement (PLA) between the Port of Seattle and the Seattle County Building and Construction
Trades Council (SBT), and Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, covering the period
from December 2024, through December 2029.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Good faith bargaining between the Seattle County Building and Construction Trades Council, and
Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Port of Seattle resulted in a fair
bargaining agreement consistent with the Port’s priorities.
The Port of Seattle Commission Policy Directive on Construction Labor Practices for Projects
located on Port of Seattle Property (Policy Directive), established in October 2016, provides policy
direction for construction labor for projects on Port property. The purposes of the policy directive
are to expand access to construction jobs; ensure fair treatment of workers; promote labor
harmony and uninterrupted work progress; and improve safety at construction sites. It also
chartered the Projects and Procurements Committee to work with staff and stakeholders to
develop standard language to be used in project labor agreements (PLAs). In the course of five-
months negotiations in 2024, Port staff, Seattle County Building and Construction Trades Council,
and Western States Regional Council of Carpenters, have agreed on such standard language.
Application of the PLA will continue to be authorized by the Commission on a project-by-project
basis. The agreed language is to remain in force for 5-years, through December 2029.
The negotiations were wide-ranging but, in the end, resulted in a document largely consistent
with Port PLAs in the past five years of outcome. Modifications include clarification of relation
between the PLA and Collective Bargaining Agreements; enhancing diversity in contracting
provisions and small business outreach and participation; clarifying grievance and dispute
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8q Page 2 of 3
Meeting Date: December 10, 2024
Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.
resolution procedures; apprentice utilization goals; preferred entry standards; zip-code priority
hiring standards; removing gender specific language; and general clean-up of language for clarity.
The standard language resolves and clarifies several items at issue in recent individual PLA
discussions. It continues to relieve the administrative burden of reopening negotiations for each
separate project. Either the Port, SBT, or Carpenters can propose changes or request that the 5-
year effective time be curtailed or extended, but any such action must be by mutual agreement.
DETAILS
The policy directive established PLA decision criteria, established procedures for applying labor
standards to different categories of construction contracts on Port property, and directed the
following:
The Projects and Procurements Committee is hereby chartered to work with staff and
stakeholders to develop standard language to be included in Port PLAs unless otherwise
authorized by the Commission.
During the period of August - December 2024, Port staff from Labor Relations, Capital
Development, Workforce Development, and Diversity of Contracting negotiated the PLA
language with leaders from SBT, Carpenters, and member unions. The negotiating team received
input from the Seattle chapter of the Associated General Contractors and Port staff including
Central Procurement Office, Diversity in Contracting Programs and Workforce Development.
In general, in return for commitment to no work stoppages or slowdowns, the PLA requires that
except for named exceptions, all craft labor will be dispatched from union halls and employers
will pay into the benefit funds of the respective trade unions. The PLA document is incorporated
into the contract between the Port and the general contractor and by extension to
subcontractors. Highlights of the current agreement include:
• Reference to the Construction Labor Practices policy directive.
• Conflicts with Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) have been minimized and the
precedence of the CBAs affirmed.
• Unions and contractors commit to outreach to Small Business Enterprises with training
and assistance and to facilitate entry into the building and construction trades of
military veterans.
• Compliance checklist to confirm subcontractor met PLA expectations.
• Dispute and grievance resolution procedures have been clarified.
• Memorialized pre-job conference waiver procedure.
• Consistent with State law, the apprenticeship utilization goal remains at 15 percent,
but the aspirational goals for the share of minority and women apprentices are 21
percent and 12 percent, respectively.
• The agreement clarifies procedures for preferred entry from any certified WSATC
approved pre- apprenticeship programs into union apprenticeship.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8q Page 3 of 3
Meeting Date: December 10, 2024
Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.
• Subcontractors who are not party to CBAs may request by name the referral of up to 3
“core” workers and up to 2 apprentices.
• Incorporated zip-code priority hiring provision on projects at the Port’s discretion.
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST
(1) Proposed PLA Standard Language
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
None.
