ROCK ISLAND, IL — The Indiana Illinois Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting (III FFC), the Tri-City Building & Construction Trades Council, and the Quad City Federation of Labor released a joint statement today commending the City of Rock Island for its forward-thinking procurement policy, which recently demonstrated its success on the Sunset Marina project. The city’s policy, requiring projects over $500,000 to adhere to the Illowa Construction Labor and Management Council’s IMPACT project labor agreement (PLA), ensured that despite a non-local, non-union contractor being awarded the project, local workers were employed at local labor standards.
This outcome directly addresses common misconceptions and criticisms leveled against PLAs.
Disproving Common Misconceptions About PLAs
A frequent grievance against project labor agreements is that they reduce the number of bidding contractors, thereby limiting competition and potentially raising project costs. Another common concern is that these agreements exclude non-union contractors from bidding on public works. The successful completion of the Sunset Marina project, however, proves both of these arguments to be unfounded.
The policy established a level playing field by requiring all contractors—union or non-union—to comply with the same local labor standards and prevailing wages. As a result, the non-union, non-local general contractor awarded the project was still obligated to hire local workers and pay them local prevailing wages and benefits thus injecting public funds directly into the local economy. This model shows that PLAs do not necessarily exclude non-union contractors but rather ensure that all participating contractors adhere to a common set of fair and equitable labor conditions for a specific project.
A Win for Workers, Contractors, and Taxpayers
By ensuring local workers were hired at local standards, the City of Rock Island’s policy guaranteed a number of benefits:
The City’s policy also encourages the use of registered apprenticeship programs, helping to train the next generation of skilled tradespeople and creating long-term career pathways for local residents. Rock Island is not only building critical infrastructure but also building a stronger workforce by tying public investment to apprenticeship and training opportunities where apprentices “earn while they learn.”
Rock Island’s new procurement policy ensures that public projects funded by taxpayers are completed with the highest standards of safety, quality, and professionalism, while simultaneously supporting the community’s workforce. The III FFC, the Tri-City Building & Construction Trades Council, and the Quad City Federation of Labor encourage other municipalities in the region to follow Rock Island’s lead in adopting similar policies that protect workers, promote fair contracting, and build stronger communities.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2025
CONTACTS: Andrew Waeyaert, Regional Manager, Indiana Illinois Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting, [email protected]
Brian Atkins, Executive Director, Tri-City Building & Construction Trades Council, [email protected]
Dan Gosa, President, Quad Cities Federation of Labor, [email protected]