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Advisory committee recommends project labor agreement for Whitford Middle School

North Kingstown School Department Building Advisory Committee · April 2, 2026

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Summary

After public testimony from labor representatives, the North Kingstown Building Advisory Committee voted to recommend using a project labor agreement (PLA) on the Whitford Middle School project, citing continuity of skilled labor and apprenticeship opportunities.

The North Kingstown School Department Building Advisory Committee voted April 1 to recommend that the Whitford Middle School project move forward under a project labor agreement (PLA).

The committee’s recommendation followed several public comments urging adoption of a PLA. "I am here tonight to respectfully request this body to approve the findings of the project labor agreement analysis, which recommends a PLA to be utilized for the Whitford Middle School and to insert the PLA into the bid specs for the school project," said Joe Walsh, business manager of IBW Local Union 99, during the public-comment period.

Advocates at the meeting told the committee PLAs provide immediate access to skilled labor, predictable wage costs under prevailing-wage rules and built-in apprenticeship and local-hiring opportunities. Joe Capaco, director of apprenticeship and training for the Rhode Island Building Trades, said PLAs include apprenticeship requirements that can provide jobs for district graduates.

OPM staff reviewed a third-party PLA analysis prepared for the district that examined project size, complexity, timing and risk of labor disruption. The analysis concluded the Whitford project met thresholds to consider a PLA and identified potential trade-specific impacts on competition that the committee should weigh. The report noted prevailing wage requirements were already part of the project pricing, which narrows potential cost impacts from vendor-selection limits under a PLA.

Following discussion, a motion to recommend engaging a PLA was made and seconded; the committee voted in favor of the recommendation (ayes recorded). The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the school committee for its consideration.

The committee did not adopt specific contract language during the meeting; staff said legal counsel will assist with next steps and drafting any PLA terms to be included in bid documents.

The committee also heard from residents and contractors who said local projects built under PLAs have completed on time and provided apprenticeship and training benefits. The advisory committee’s recommendation does not itself bind the district to a contract; it asks the school committee to authorize staff to pursue PLA language for forthcoming bid documents.