Texas Senate Passes Anti-Worker Bill, Taking Aim at Common-Sense Project Labor Agreements

AUSTIN, Texas – Today, the Texas AFL-CIO releases the following statement after the Texas Senate’s passage of Senate Bill 925, which would prevent local governments from using Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) — an agreement that outlines the rules of the road, including terms of employment, for a specific construction project. The bill was approved 20-11, along party lines.

“Texas Senate Republicans just decided to remove a common-sense tool from big construction projects in our state — which will increase construction costs and delays,” said Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar. “As someone who's worked on a PLA project, I have to say it was the most organized, safest job that I have ever had the opportunity to work on. Texas construction workers will continue to fight this nonsense bill because our taxpayer dollars should go toward good paying, safe jobs — not billionaires and big corporations who cut corners.”

SB 925 is an attack on Texas construction workers. PLA projects have union and non-union labor. Nothing in a PLA excludes non-union contractors or workers from participation, and PLAs are a market-based project efficiency tool to ensure “on time, within budget" results for construction projects. 

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The Texas AFL-CIO is the state labor federation consisting of 240,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org