Another name for Community Partnership Agreements is Project Labor Agreements. There is a great deal of mis-information about these agreements so below you will find studies done that look at the benefit of these agreements for economic development.

Project Labor Agreements in New York State: In the Public Interest

This is a study done by a professor in the Construction Industry Program at Cornell University. It takes a detailed look at Project Labor Agreements (Community Partnership Agreements) and how they are effective.

"In its landmark 1993 Boston Harbor decison, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the value of PLAs in serving the public interest..." Pg. 4

"PLAs have been demonstrated to be a very useful construction management tool for cost savings, for on-time, on budget, and quaility construction." Pg. 3

"Project Labor Agreements make sense for public works projects because they promote planned approach to labor relations, allow contractors to more accurately predict labor costs and schedule prodution timetables, reduce the risks of shoddy work and costly disruptions and encourage greater efficiency and productivity." Pg. 4

"PLA Labor cost savings are both direct and indirect and can be substantial over the life of a project." Pg. 20

Review of Studies on Project Labor Agreements

This study debunks many of the myths surrounding Project Labor Agreements.

“Major Claims of Project Labor Agreement Opponnets were roundly rejected” Pg. 2

“Owners increasingly want PLAs in order to meet there speed-to-market demands and to ensure against delays that can be cause by worker shortages and other problems”
“Contractors that use them maintain that on complex, long-term projects, PLA’s foster positive communications channels to address worker concerns, grievances or disputes and resolve them quickly” Pg. 3

“The fact is that projects are delayed due to changes in scope of work, increase number of change orders, engineering or design changes. It is such changes that cause an increase in Labor cost – not the other way around” Pg. 3

Subsidizing the Low: Road Economic Development in Baltimore City

This study discusses the importance of the city doing more workforce development when it does any city financing of projects.

“Unlike most states and many big cities, Baltimore has no job quality standards, or laws requiring subsidized companies to pay a certain wage or to provide healthcare." Pg. 2

“Attach hiring agreements to any firm-specific incentives so that city residents get the first chance to qualify” Pg. 32