Unions seeing benefits of PLAs and CBAs in Central Ohio building boom

Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Dorsey Hager, joined the America’s Work Force Podcast to discuss the important support and growth unions have received from the beginning of Central Ohio’s tech construction boom. Hager also discussed Project Labor Agreements and Community Bargaining Agreements that ensure the majority of the work is done by well-trained, local union members, and what the current labor resurgence means to him.

From the beginning of the tech construction boom in Central Ohio, Hager spoke about how much support Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown has given to unions. By ensuring the Central Ohio unions would be used in constructing the megaprojects through PLAs, Brown has given unions in Central Ohio a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Now it’s up to the unions and C/COBCTC to recruit and organize the manpower needed to adequately staff the projects. Hager outlined the growth by the different unions and when he expects to see a fully staffed project at the Intel jobsite. 

Along with PLAs, the C/COBCTC has been finding ways to use Community Benefits Agreements on several regional projects. Hager discussed finding projects that meet the standards to create CBAs to improve the local community. Hager said that they’re not just laying sidewalks, roads and buildings, but are creating opportunities for workers to earn their path to the middle class.

In his 30-year career, Hager has never seen a resurgence in the American Labor Movement like what has happened in the last 12 months. Some of the things he’s seen nationally are giving him a renewed sense of hope and pride to come to work every day. He discussed how the Teamsters negotiations and renewed community awareness have reinvigorated his passion for the Labor Movement. He described many of the current union leaders' efforts to leave an impact on Labor and explained why he believes this era of leaders will leave one of the largest footprints in labor history.

Hear more of the work being done in Central Ohio by listening to the episode above.