Politics & Government
Discord Erupts Over Potential Tie with Labor Unions in Chesterfield Emergency Hub Construction
Police chief told County Council a pre-bid agreement was not exclusive but mayor said not so fast.
During St. Louis County Council's open forum in Clayton, Chief William Karabas called for a measure that some believe would favor labor unions in construction of an Emergency Communications Center in Chesterfield.
A project labor agreement (PLA) is typically forged over a construction project before it goes out to bid, but is aimed at preventing strikes or changes in wages during the work.
Karabas, who is the chairman of the St. Louis County Emergency Communications System Commission, said Tuesday it will take up to 14 months to construct the new facility, which will contain equipment for an emergency communications system that conforms to a looming FCC mandate.
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He said the 30,000-square-foot building has to be ready for the county to install new equipment before a January 2013 deadline. The location is 1150 Hanna Road.
“As we understand it, a PLA ensures that there would be no strikes or work stoppages,” Karabas said. “The process is open to union and non-union contractors, as well as requiring minority participation.”
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Karabas said that PLAs were used in major projects such as Busch Stadium and the . He said those projects came in “on time” and “on budget.”
But Ferguson's Mayor James Knowles III, who is also the eastern Missouri director for Associated Builders and Contractors, told the council if the PLA becomes “union only,” it would “discriminate against the vast number of contractors and workers in the industry.”
“Contrary to popular belief, the construction industry is mostly non-union,” said Knowles. “It’s easy to look at St. Louis County’s own rolls and see who’s a registered contractor in this county. And majority—the vast majority—are all non-union."
Knowles said a PLA restricts the bidding process, which he added runs contrary to St. Louis County ordinances.
“It does restrict on who’s allowed to bid on the job,” Knowles said. “It does restrict who’s allowed to work on the job. So we’re obviously concerned about this.”
The council took no action since the topic was simply brought up during an open mic period for the public.
It was unclear whether the discussion would influence the next step on the project.