Governor Josh Green recently signed the Hawaii Project Labor Agreement (PLA)! This will ensure a steady supply of union labor to help rebuild Lahaina and meet the state’s need for affordable housing. In addition to putting our members to work, these PLAs help contractors with the recruiting, hiring, and training of local workers. PLAs also prohibit labor disruptions, so construction projects are completed efficiently and on time. They also require any out-of-state contractors awarded work on these projects to exhaust the supply of local workers before importing workers from the mainland. This is an important component, as the ongoing recovery efforts in Lahaina and the rebuilding of housing there alone will require at least 2,000 additional construction workers.

“PLAs ensure that taxpayer dollars support public infrastructure and provide good-paying jobs for Hawaii residents,” said Governor Green. “Looking toward the future of our people, the PLA presents an opportunity to create long-term career paths in construction for our local residents, giving them an opportunity to afford the high cost of living in Hawaii and build the homes we need to get us out of this housing crisis.”