The Metropolitan King County Council today cleared a hurdle in the construction of the region’s next wastewater treatment facility with their approval of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the conveyance route from Brightwater to Puget Sound.

“This is a double victory for the residents of north King County and South Snohomish County who will benefit from Brightwater,” said Councilmember Carolyn Edmonds, a co-sponsor of the legislation. “We can’t afford major cost overruns or delays on the very tight time schedule this project is under. The PLA can help prevent both. The PLA also ensures that workers on Brightwater are paid a livable wage, receive health and retirement benefits and have safe working conditions and rules.”

PLAs are generally designed for unique construction projects of a complex scope, extended schedule, or significant size. PLA’s are project-specific agreements, negotiated at the outset of a construction project, setting out the terms and conditions of employment for the duration of the project. Such agreements can help reduce costs while increasing efficiency and quality. As do many others, the Brightwater PLA contains a comprehensive no-strike clause to guarantee the project will be built without labor stoppages, lock-outs, or other disruptions which could delay project completion and increase costs.

When implemented, PLA’s serve as a risk management tool to manage the uncertainties associated with such projects. PLA’s have been used as a project management tool on several large local projects, including Safeco Field, Qwest Field, the Port of Seattle’s Pier 66 and South Airport Terminal, Seattle Public Utilities’ Tolt Treatment Facility, the new downtown Seattle Public Library and Harborview Medical Center.

“We see the success of PLA’s throughout our region, I expect no less from this one,” said Edmonds. “The Brightwater conveyance system will be built in my district and it is of great importance to me that the construction goes as smoothly as possible. I appreciate the efforts of the building trades and the King County Executive to negotiate terms that will not only provide family wage jobs and benefits for those who live on our region but provide for safe and timely construction of this project in our neighborhoods.”

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system.
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