Labor pact sets tone
for building industry
All sides who signed a labor agreement covering the Navy's Ford Island master development say it sets a precedent in the construction industry and could provide a template for future agreements.
The so-called aloha stabilization agreement between developers Fluor Hawaii LLC and representatives from the various construction trades who will work on the project was signed Saturday in a ceremony at the Battleship Missouri Memorial.
Alan Mockler, construction manager for the prime contractor, Fluor Hawaii, said the agreement will provide stability for everyone involved in the project.
Any contractor or subcontractor or union that works on the project will sign the agreement, which covers such areas such as wages, workforce safety compliance, work schedules, overtime and dispute resolution, Mockler said.
The agreement will also mean that workers who work for non-union contractors will temporarily join the union for the duration of their job.
"It allows them a one-time sign up with the union," Mockler said.
At its height, the Ford Island project will employ nearly 400 people and involve a payroll of around $100 million. The entire project will take about four years and create almost 500 homes.
Ronald Taketa, financial secretary/business representative for the Hawaii Carpenters Union Local 745, characterized the agreement as "a good beginning."
"This project (Ford Island) is not as big as the upcoming housing projects, but it is the first of its kind between the trades and the contractors. It allows the contractors greater flexibility. They don't have to deal with 17 different agreements. It's a recognition that there can be cooperation with the trades and the contractors," he said.
Taketa said he and other unions have been meeting with prime contractors for other upcoming major military projects, Actus Lend Lease and Forest City Enterprises Inc., in hopes of forging similar agreements.
"Hopefully, this trend will continue with all military work coming down," he said.
Fluor's Mockler said such a labor agreement also sends a positive message for other developers considering projects in Hawaii.
A solid labor force working together means a booming construction period, such as the one Hawaii is beginning to undergo, can be sustained for a lot longer, Mockler said.
"It's a positive step towards unifying the complete workforce on the island to better handle the economic growth and sustain it for a lot longer," he said.
