Seattle Monorail Project Reaches Green Line Labor Agreement; Promotes Apprenticeships, Safety,...

Business Editors

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 2004

A key Seattle Monorail Project Committee approved a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) agreed to by 36 local unions that will set the stage for six million labor hours that will result from construction of the Monorail Green

The PLA, a key milestone for the Monorail, was praised by leaders from the Seattle-King County Building and Construction Trades Council, on behalf of workers who will be employed doing everything from construction of stations to electrical work, represented by 19 local and district councils and 16 affiliated international unions.

Monorail Board members also voiced strong support for the agreement. "This was a key priority for us, knowing that there will be 2,100 new jobs in the community because of the Green Line," said Board Chair Tom Weeks.

Under the agreement, Green Line contractors and subcontractors must pay prevailing wages and benefits as well as contribute to health and safety programs. No lockouts, work stoppages or delays in the work will be allowed, a key provision to help ensure the Project stays on budget and on schedule.

Included is a commitment to apprenticeship positions, with a particular emphasis on low-income women and people of color. The agreement also implements a "Helmets to Hardhats" program designed to bring military veterans into construction jobs.

The PLA is critically important because of its emphasis on these programs and on maintaining a safe working environment with zero accidents, Peter Coates, Executive Secretary of the Seattle-King County Building and Construction Trades Council, said in urging passage of the agreement.

A joint administrative committee representing SMP, unions, and the DBOM contractor team will be formed to monitor compliance with the Green Line PLA throughout the project.

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