Union carpenters deliver quality craftsmanship on job sites governed by project labor agreements.
Same Pay. Same Safety Rules. No Membership Requirement.
Non-union workers on PLA projects are more common than the debate suggests. Project labor agreements set the terms for everyone on a covered site, but they do not require workers to be union members, and they do not shut out contractors that employ a non-union workforce. Federal rulemakers put it plainly: non-union contractors can bring their own employees to a PLA project, and where a union runs a hiring hall, those employees may register with it for referral. Here is how it works in practice.
The Same Pay for the Same Work
The first thing a non-union worker notices on a PLA project is the paycheck. PLAs set collectively bargained wage and fringe benefit rates for each craft, and those rates apply to every worker on the site regardless of employer. A non-union carpenter earns the union carpenter’s rate, with contributions to health and retirement plans paid on the worker’s behalf. Prevailing wage laws on public work set a floor. The PLA sets the full package and locks in scheduled increases for the life of the project. Nothing in the agreement pays a non-union worker less.
Membership Is Not a Condition of Employment
Federal law does not allow a PLA to make union membership a condition of getting or keeping a job. Many PLAs include a union security clause, which, where state law permits, requires workers to pay dues or an equivalent fee for the duration of the project in exchange for the representation and benefits the agreement provides. Workers who pay a fee receive the same representation in grievances, the same benefit contributions and the same access to training as members. In right-to-work states such as Virginia, even that requirement does not apply. A Connecticut legislative review of PLA court decisions summarized the typical structure: workers were not required to join, but paid a sum equal to dues while on the project.
READ MORE: Project Labor Agreements Let Non-Union Contractors Bid and Win
How Hiring Works
PLAs usually route hiring through the union hiring hall, which keeps a list of qualified craft workers available for referral. Non-union workers can register with the hall and be referred to the project like anyone else. Most agreements also include a core workforce provision that lets a non-union contractor bring a set number of its own long-term employees onto the job, typically alternating with hiring hall referrals until the contractor’s core crew is in place. The Los Angeles World Airports PLA is a public example: it states outright that non-union prime contractors and subcontractors can work on covered projects and spells out the alternating referral process. That balance protects both sides: the contractor keeps the crew it trusts, and the hall’s referral list ensures the rest of the workforce meets the same qualification standards.
What Non-Union Workers Gain
- Collectively bargained wages and fringe benefits for the life of the project
- Access to registered apprenticeship training and the hours that count toward it
- One safety program covering every crew on the site
- A grievance procedure with binding arbitration instead of a walk-off
- Health and retirement contributions paid on the worker’s behalf
Why This Matters for the Debate
Claims that PLAs bar non-union workers persist because they are useful, not because they are true. The 2025 Illinois Economic Policy Institute study of 773 public projects found PLAs increased bidding by 14% and grew market share for firms owned by veterans, women and people of color, many of which are not signatory contractors. The ICERES research review reached the same conclusion across decades of studies. The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and its 42,000 members work alongside non-union crews on PLA projects across the region under one set of rules. That is what the agreement is for.
READ MORE: Local Hiring on PLAs Keeps Jobs and Dollars in the Community
Frequently Asked Questions
Can non-union workers work on PLA projects?
Yes. PLAs set terms for every worker on a covered project but do not require union membership as a condition of employment.
Do non-union workers have to join a union on a PLA project?
No. Some PLAs require dues or an equivalent fee for the project’s duration where state law allows. Membership itself is never required.
Do non-union workers get paid the same as union workers under a PLA?
Yes. PLA wage and benefit rates apply to every worker in a craft regardless of employer.
Can a non-union contractor use its own employees on a PLA project?
Yes. Core workforce provisions let a contractor place its own long-term employees on the job, and its other workers can register with the hiring hall.
What is a core workforce provision?
A PLA clause that lets a non-signatory contractor bring a set number of its own employees onto the project, usually alternating with hiring hall referrals.
Do PLAs apply in right-to-work states?
Yes. PLAs operate in right-to-work states, where dues requirements do not apply but wage, benefit and safety terms do.
Do non-union workers get benefits under a PLA?
Yes. Contractors pay health and retirement contributions on behalf of every worker on the project under the agreement’s terms.
Can non-union contractors bid on PLA projects?
Yes. Public PLA projects use open competitive bidding, and research shows PLAs increase the number of bids.
Do PLAs increase costs?
No. See the peer-reviewed answer to do PLAs increase costs.
PLA wage and benefit rates apply to every worker in a craft regardless of employer.
