Citywide Project Labor Agreement

Learn about the labor law that promotes workplace harmony between City contractors and unions.

On February 18, 2019 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed the Citywide Project Labor Agreement Ordinance (Section 6.27 of the SF Administrative Code).  This Ordinance directed the City to negotiate a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) with the San Francisco Building Construction Trades Council.

On July 14, 2020 the  Citywide Project Labor Agreement became effective.  Contractors performing trade work on COVERED PROJECTS are required to:

  1. Utilize trade appropriate union hiring halls to hire workers and apprentices
  2. Pay fringe benefit contributions on behalf of workers directly to appropriate Union Trust Fund programs   

COVERED PROJECTS are those advertised by the San Francisco Department of Public Works and/or the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department which meet the following criteria:

  1. Funded wholly or in part by a general obligation bond or a revenue bond with an estimated project value which exceeds the following threshold amounts:
    1. $5 Million from 7/14/2020 – 7/13/2021
    2. $3 Million from 7/14/2021 – 7/13/2022
    3. $1 Million from 7/14/2022 – 7/13/2040, or
  2. Funded by a source other than a general obligation bond or a revenue bond with an estimated project value which exceeds $10 million.

Certified Local Business Enterprises (LBEs) are eligible for exemption until payments of $5 million are issued on covered projects.

Contractors no longer eligible for the LBE exemption:

  • D'Arcy & Harty - 2/15/2023
  • Esquivel Grading & Paving - 3/29/2023
  • Bauman Landscape and Construction - 4/27/2023
  • Precision Engineering - 7/19/2023

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Project Labor Agreement, please contact the Office of Labor Standards Enforcement at (415) 554-6573 or prevailingwage@sfgov.org.

Last updated February 6, 2024