New York City Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled two Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) with the Building & Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) in a move intended to enhance New York City's infrastructure and labor landscape.
These agreements, collectively exceeding $1 billion in construction projects, aim to streamline capital project delivery, foster local employment, and bolster opportunities for minority and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs), according to a press release.
Accelerating Infrastructure Development
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, PLAs are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements negotiated between construction unions and construction contractors that establish the terms and conditions of employment for construction projects. The PLAs announced by Mayor Adams are intended to expedite a variety of critical infrastructure projects across the city. By adopting the design-build delivery method—which consolidates design and construction under a single contract—the city anticipates significant time and cost savings.
Design-build is particularly advantageous for complex undertakings such as below-grade infrastructure enhancements, roadway and waterfront reconstructions, and the development of new greenways. Click here to learn more.
A notable project under this initiative is the $270 million transformation of Willets Point. This endeavor includes the construction of resilient sewers, new streets, and 150,000 square feet of public open space, laying the groundwork for future developments in the area – including the city’s first-ever soccer specific stadium.
Empowering the Workforce and Promoting Equity
Beyond infrastructure improvements, NYC’s new PLAs emphasize fair wages, comprehensive benefits, and stringent safety protocols for workers. They also introduce community hiring goals, prioritizing employment and apprenticeship opportunities for residents of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments and neighborhoods with poverty rates exceeding 15%.
"These agreements, covering more than a billion dollars in work, are a win-win-win,” Adams said. “Good union jobs for New Yorkers; faster, better, and more efficient capital projects; and billions of dollars of investment in communities that went ignored for decades."
Strengthening Minority and Women-Owned Businesses
According to the city’s press release, the agreements represent a significant commitment to M/WBEs, aiming to ensure these enterprises have substantial participation in the upcoming projects. This initiative aligns with the city's broader strategy to promote diversity and inclusion within its economic development plans.
Laying the Groundwork for Future Projects
In addition to the current agreements, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has signed a letter of intent with BCTC to negotiate further PLAs. These prospective agreements could encompass nearly $50 billion in future capital construction projects, including significant developments like the Hunts Point Produce Market, the Kingsbridge Armory redevelopment, and the Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay projects.
"We are grateful for these historic commitments and collaboration from Mayor Adams and NYCEDC,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of BCTC. “We must ensure that our city's hardworking people, including our tradesmen and tradeswomen, are provided fair wages and accessible pathways to the middle class that will allow them to reinvest in their communities and support their families in the foreseeable future."
A Vision for Sustainable Growth
The PLAs are designed to facilitate the efficient completion of essential projects, such as green infrastructure enhancements and the repair of sewers, roads, and bridges. By integrating workforce development and community hiring provisions, the agreements aim to create a more inclusive and equitable labor market.
“Through our collaboration with the Building & Construction Trades Council on these Project Labor Agreements, we are not only investing in world-class infrastructure but also creating thousands of good-paying union jobs that will benefit New Yorkers for generations,” said New York’s First Deputy Mayor, Maria Torres-Springer.
GPRS supports infrastructure and construction projects of all sizes with our comprehensive suite of subsurface damage prevention, existing conditions documentation, and construction & facilities project management services. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology and industry-leading training, we Intelligently Visualize The Built World® to keep your projects on time, on budget, and safe.
What can we help you visualize?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can GPRS find PVC piping and other non-conductive utilities?
Ground penetrating radar (GPR) scanning is exceptionally effective at locating all types of subsurface materials. There are times when PVC pipes do not provide an adequate signal to ground penetrating radar equipment and can’t be properly located by traditional methods. However, GPRS Project Managers are expertly trained at multiple methods of utility locating.
Will I need to mark out the utilities that GPRS locates?
No, GPRS will locate and mark all utilities for you. We have a variety of tools and markers we can use to highlight the locations of utilities, underground storage tanks and whatever else may be hiding.
What is a Video Pipe Inspection (VPI)?
Video Pipe Inspection or VPI is a sewer inspection service using CCTV video cameras to mitigate or prevent infrastructure damage by inspecting underground water, sewer lines, and lateral pipelines. GPRS's NASSCO certified technicians can locate clogs, investigate cross bores, find structural faults and damages, and conduct lateral sewer line inspections.
What deliverables does GPRS offer when conducting a VPI?
GPRS is proud to offer WinCan reporting to our Video Pipe Inspection clients. Maintaining sewers starts with understanding sewer condition, and WinCan allows GPRS Project Managers to collect detailed, NASSCO-compliant inspection data. GPRS Project Managers not only inspect the interior condition of sewer pipes, laterals, and manholes – they can also provide a map of their location. The GPRS Mapping & Modeling Department can provide detailed GPS overlays and CAD files. Our detailed WinCan/NASSCO reports contain screenshots of the interior condition of the pipe segments that we inspect, as well as a video file for further evaluation, documentation, and/or reference.
What are the Benefits of Underground Utility Mapping?
Having an updated and accurate map of your subsurface infrastructure reduces accidents, budget overruns, change orders, and project downtime caused by dangerous and costly subsurface damage.
How does SiteMap® assist with Utility Mapping?
SiteMap®, powered by GPRS, is the industry-leading infrastructure management program. It is a single source of truth, housing the 99.8%+ accurate utility locating, concrete scanning, video pipe inspection, leak detection, and 3D laser scanning data our Project Managers collect on your job site. And the best part is you get a complimentary SiteMap® Personal Subscription when GPRS performs a utility locate for you.
Does SiteMap® Work with my Existing GIS Platform?
SiteMap® allows for exporting of data to SHP, GeoJSON, GeoPackage, and DXF directly from any user’s account that either owns or has a job shared to their account. All these file formats can be imported and utilized by other GIS packages if manually imported by the user. More information can be found at SiteMap.com.
