Biden Order Will Aim to Raise Wages for Infrastructure Jobs | 2022-02-04 | SupplyChainBrain

Biden Order Will Aim to Raise Wages for Infrastructure Jobs

February 4, 2022

A contractor supervises as milling machines remove asphalt from a runway. Photo: Bloomberg.

A contractor supervises as milling machines remove asphalt from a runway. Photo: Bloomberg.

President Joe Biden will require large federal infrastructure projects to use project labor agreements, a collective bargaining measure the administration says will tilt the rules toward companies with higher-paid workers.

Biden, who has long touted his support for unions, will sign an executive order on Friday implementing the rule for all federally procured construction projects above $35 million in value.

The measure would apply to projects in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that are direct federal procurement, and not to those led by other entities who’ve been awarded federal grants.

Read more: What's in the $550 Billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Project labor agreements guarantee a contractor will enter into a collective bargaining pact for the duration of a specific project. They’re seen as a way to bolster wages on federal construction projects, guarantee work for unions, and prevent labor unrest.

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