Research Studies
If you would like to receive a hard copy of any of the following studies, please send us an email at info@lecet.org.

Apprenticeship Studies

Infrastructure Studies

Living Wage Studies

Health Care Studies

Prevailing Wage Law Studies

The following studies and papers are provided to refute the claims of prevailing wage opponents. The studies prove that higher construction wages do not lead to higher construction costs.

Project Labor Agreement Studies

Since President Bush's Executive Order banning PLAs, the ABC and other opponents have been spreading misinformation about the soundness of government entities entering into PLAs. Listed below are studies, papers and reports that support the use of PLA's in public sector construction.

  • San Diego Unified School Distinct Project Stabilization Agreement: A Review of Construction Contractor and Labor Considerations by Rea and Parker Research, November 2011
  • Community Workforce Provisions in Project Labor Agreements: A Tool for Middle Class Carreers by Maria Figueroa, Jeff Grabelsky, Ryan Lamare, Cornell University ILR School 2011
  • Project Labor Agreements in New York State II: In the Public Interest and of Proven Value, by Fred B. Kotler, J.D., Associate Director of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University follows up on his March 2009 study. This new study details how and why these agreements are serving the interests of taxpayers, businesses,communities, as well as the construction industry and workforce. (2011)
  • Project Labor Agreements in NY State: In the Public Interest, by Fred B. Kotler, J.D., Associate Director of the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University affirms the fact that Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) do not discriminate against employers and workers; do not limit the pool of bidders; and do not raise construction costs. (2008)
  • Building Opportunity: Investing in Our Future through a Port Construction Careers Policy by Jackie Cornejo, Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, June 2009. This meticulously researched report by Jackie Cornejo compiles relevant research to lay out the best case for a Project Labor Agreement on the Port of Los Angeles. The report also features a foreword from leading scholar Peter Philips, who is Professor and Chair of the University of Utah Department of Economics.
  • Construction Careers for our Communities by the UCLA Labor Center, 2008 This report explores one potential benefit that sometimes emerges from the innovative bargaining structure of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) —local hiring goals—through an assessment of projects developed by three public agencies in Los Angeles County: the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and the City of Los Angeles.
  • In a 2007 report entitled Project Labor Agreements, Professors Dale Belman, of Michigan State University; Matthew M. Bodah of the University of Rhode Island and Peter Philips of the University of Utah found that there is no evidence that PLAs decrease the number of bidders or change the cost of construction projects. Rather than increase cost, the agreements provide benefits to the community. Indeed, the study shows that project cost is directly related to the complexity of a project, not the existence of an agreement.
  • Project Labor Agreements and Construction in Maine University of Maine Bureau of Labor Education (2005).
  • Project Labor Agreements in Iowa: An Important Tool for Managing Complex Public Construction Projects. Ralph Scharnau & Michael F. Sheehan, The Iowa Policy Project (2004). Public-sector construction projects in Iowa serve three important public functions. They provide direct services through the building of schools, hospitals, police stations, highways and similar projects. Second, spending on these projects stimulates economic development and creates jobs. And third, they improve the ability of the public infrastructure to deliver services that help to generate income for other Iowa producers. This makes those producers more productive and competitive.”
  • Constructing California: A Review of Project Labor Agreements Project labor agreements (PLAs) are arguably the most important change in labor-management relations in the construction industry in recent years. They have become a fairly common part of the organization of major construction projects in California. This report recounts the history of PLAs in California, surveys the features found in California PLAs for both public and private projects, includes case studies of recent PLAs that are breaking new ground, and reviews the state of the President's PLA executive orders. Kimberly Johnston-Dodds, Prepared at the request of Senator John L. Burton, President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate, October 2001.
  • Project Labor Agreements Booklet The purpose of this booklet is to show how PLAs are a winning opportunity, not just for workers and contractors, but also for public and private owners and especially taxpayers. By the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, 2000.
  • "Project Labor Agreements: The State of the Law", December 1999, by Brian A. Powers and Gerald M. Waites. Lists PLAs, surveys and studies that prove the benefits of PLA built construction projects.
  • "Legal Considerations Affecting the use of Public Sector Project Labor Agreements: A Proponent's View" by Bradford W. Coupe, Esq. Makes the case that PLAs are an effective tool for labor-management relations.
  • Project Labor Agreements Brochure, by the AFL-CIO.

Labor Law Studies