The Labor Tribune reports that a new executive order will go into effect in St. Louis, requiring the Board of Public Service to consider entering into a Project Labor Agreement (or "Community Workforce Agreement") on projects that cost $500,000 or more.  Such an agreement is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement that the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project.

As City Counselor, Winston Calvert drafted the executive order.  Although prior administrations and their city counselors had failed to find the way to craft a legal rationale for such an order, Calvert succesfully defended it against legal attacks from inside and outside City government.  Two weeks ago, Mayor Francis Slay credited Calvert's involvement, explaining to the Construction News and Review that he signed the order only after "Our lawyers said this was a good, legal way to do it." 

In an interview with the Labor Tribune, Jeff Abboussie, executive secretary-treasurer of the St. Louis Building & Construction Trades Council, summarized the community's reaction to the executive order saying: “This is huge.”