Labor deal approved by L.A. Harbor Commission

Contractors will be required to use union labor for $1.5 billion in port construction projects over the next five years. That includes major work like the rebuilding of the Gerald Desmond Bridge. From the Business Journal:

Until now, project labor agreements have been negotiated on a project-by-project basis. But this agreement covers 95 percent of all construction projects undertaken by the port, including the rebuilding of the Gerald Desmond Bridge and expanded rail infrastructure. Proponents of the PLA say it will create up to 6,000 jobs for residents near the port complex.

Non-union contractors say that project labor agreements effectively shut them out of the bidding process, which means reduced competition and higher costs.