White House mulls rollback of pro-union rule in federal contracts

The Trump administration is considering rolling back an Obama-era rule designed to steer federal contracts to companies with labor unions, but the White House’s desire for a major infrastructure program may hinder the move.

At issue are “project labor agreements,” collective bargaining agreements unique to the construction industry that require companies to recognize unions and agree to their rules for a work project. Former President Barack Obama signed an executive order in 2009 encouraging federal agencies to require PLAs in contracts exceeding $25 million.