Officials announce a project labor agreement for the Downtown Monroe Community College Campus ensuring only local laborers will be working on the project.
According to officials, there are plenty of reasons to use local laborers to build the new campus. Rochester Building and Trades Council President Dave Young says bringing in out-of-state contractors can lead to strikes and delays. County Executive Maggie Brooks says hiring Rochester businesses will help save over half a million dollars.
But MCC President Ann Kress says, most importantly, using local laborers just makes sense, considering the college's mission.
"It reflects what we do at MCC. We're committed to work force development. We're committed to career and technical education programs that help our students find meaningful futures in the region -- employed in the region."
The agreement, or PLA, controls for things like work conditions, hours and labor requirements for both union and non-union laborers. It also has provisions about hiring women and minority workers. PLAs have been used on other public projects including the Regional Crime Lab and the O'Rorke Bridge.
