New data just dropped, and it should reshape how you think about federal construction opportunities in North Carolina and South Carolina. On May 6, 2026, Associated Builders and Contractors released a Harris Poll survey revealing that nonunion skilled trades workers make up the overwhelming majority of the construction electorate in battleground states—including 92% in North Carolina. Yet the current administration continues to defend a Biden-era mandate that effectively bars these workers and their employers from participating in large-scale federal projects.
If you’re bidding federal work in the Carolinas or thinking about it, this is your insider briefing on what project labor agreements actually mean for your business, what the new polling says about where the political winds are blowing, and how ABC Carolinas is giving members a direct lane to push for change.
Project labor agreements are now mandated on most direct federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more under Executive Order 14063. For merit shop contractors across Charlotte, the Triangle, and Upstate South Carolina, this isn’t abstract Washington policy—it’s reshaping who can realistically bid and win federal work at military installations, data centers, and infrastructure corridors right now.
Here’s what the May 6, 2026, Harris Poll data tells us about the political landscape:
For contractors watching Fort Liberty, Fort Jackson, the I-85 and I-95 corridors, and the booming data center market, this is an immediate business issue. ABC Carolinas is actively organizing advocacy through the Free Enterprise Alliance, state PACs, and direct engagement with both congressional delegations to push for a reversal.
If you don’t deal with federal procurement regularly, here’s the plain-language version: a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project before any workers are hired. It’s a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement between one or more labor organizations—typically construction unions affiliated with building trades councils—and the project owner or contracting agency.
Project labor agreements (PLAs) typically require:
Under the National Labor Relations Act, PLAs are an exception to standard rules—they allow union representation on a particular project without a National Labor Relations Board-supervised election. For a merit shop contractor, signing such an agreement means temporarily operating under union terms for the duration of the project, even when your existing workforce is nonunion.
Proponents of project labor agreements argue that they can positively impact local communities by setting goals for local hiring and providing education opportunities for local workers. Many PLAs include provisions for local hiring or training programs for veterans and disadvantaged workers, and labor agreements like PLAs often support community workforce initiatives and local economic impact. Some proponents also claim PLAs can lead to 15% to 17% faster completion times compared to non-PLA projects through producing labor management stability.
PLAs are primarily used for large-scale, complex projects like highways, stadiums, and schools. While they can be used voluntarily on private projects, the policy debate centers on government-mandated project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects.
On February 4, 2022, President Biden signed Executive Order 14063, which requires project labor agreements on federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more, reversing previous executive orders that prohibited such mandates. The implementing rule took effect for most federal solicitations on or after January 22, 2024.
Executive Order 14063 covers direct federal construction contracts—where federal agencies like USACE, GSA, VA, and DoD serve as the contracting entity—for both vertical and civil work. The mandate applies to the total cost to the federal government, meaning a $50 million DoD barracks project at Fort Liberty triggers PLA requirements regardless of how many phases or contract vehicles are used.
This government-mandated approach differs from prior policy:
| Administration | Policy Approach |
|---|---|
| Obama (2009) | Executive Order 13502 encouraged PLAs on projects $25M+ on case-by-case basis for achieving economy and efficiency |
| Trump (2017) | Executive Order 13782 prohibited PLA mandates on federal and federally assisted projects |
| Biden (2022) | Executive Order 14063 requires PLAs on direct federal projects $35M+ |
As of 2026, the Trump administration has continued to defend the Biden-era PLA rule in ongoing litigation and through procurement policy—creating a notable disconnect between the administration’s political base of nonunion construction workers and its stance on mandated project labor agreements.
The construction industry relies heavily on nonunion workers—nearly 90% of the national construction workforce operates outside union membership. Government-mandated PLAs are structured in ways that make participation costly and operationally risky for merit shop contractors.
Key barriers for nonunion contractors include:
Surveys of nonunion contractors suggest that government-mandated PLAs can lead to worse local hiring outcomes, as they often require hiring through union halls, which may not include nonunion local workers. This undermines claims about community benefits.
Research indicates that PLAs can disproportionately affect women and minority contractors, limiting their ability to compete for jobs and potentially reducing local hiring opportunities for their workers. Surveys also suggest that government-mandated PLAs can lead to a decrease in the hiring of women, veterans, and disadvantaged business enterprises, as these groups are often underrepresented in union membership.
For minority contractors and small businesses throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, these barriers compound. Many lack existing union ties and face bonding challenges when forced to inflate bids to cover PLA compliance costs.
ABC’s analysis of competitive bidding data and independent research consistently finds that government-mandated project labor agreements increase construction costs by roughly 12% to 18% on average. The use of PLAs is controversial, with proponents arguing they provide a reliable supply of skilled labor and critics claiming they increase project costs by 12% to 20%.
Opponents of project labor agreements argue that they increase construction costs by 12% to 20% compared to similar projects not subject to PLA mandates, citing studies on school construction and affordable housing projects. A 2021 study by the Rand Corporation found that government-mandated PLAs on affordable housing projects in Los Angeles increased construction costs by 14.5%, suggesting that such agreements may not achieve their intended economic benefits.
Why do costs rise?
Research indicates that PLAs can discourage non-union contractors from bidding on projects, reducing competition and potentially raising project costs. Surveys of contractors suggest that PLAs can increase project costs by forcing non-union contractors to pay into union benefit plans and comply with union work rules, which can deter them from bidding on PLA projects.
A study found that when a PLA was no longer required for a project in Ohio, the number of bids increased and the bid prices were 22% lower than when a PLA was in place, highlighting the impact of PLAs on competition.
When PLAs limit participation by nonunion firms, federal owners lose bids from many of the most competitive, safety-focused construction contractors in Charlotte, the Triangle, and Upstate South Carolina. Higher construction costs ultimately mean fewer projects can be built within fixed budgets, delaying needed infrastructure work.
On May 6, 2026, Associated Builders and Contractors released results from a Harris Poll survey of construction workers in six battleground states. The findings confirm what Carolina’s contractors already know from their jobsites: nonunion workers are the overwhelming majority.
Nonunion share of the construction workforce electorate by state:
The poll found nonunion workers supported President Trump in the 2024 election at significantly higher rates than union workers:
The central procurement finding cuts across union status: 83% of nonunion construction workers and 73% of union construction workers agreed that the federal government should select contractors for federally funded construction projects based on best value for taxpayers, not union affiliation. That’s roughly 2:1 opposition to union-only preferences among all trade workers surveyed.
Construction Executive magazine covered this Harris Poll on May 8, 2026, with ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman using the data to argue that policies like mandated project labor agreements alienate the overwhelming majority of workers who build America’s infrastructure.
Bellaman’s message to policymakers is direct: nonunion construction workers vastly outnumber union workers in the battleground states that will determine control of Congress in the 2026 midterms—and they strongly oppose government-mandated PLAs.
When an administration that relies on nonunion trades workers for political support endorses a PLA mandate that locks them and their employers out of public construction projects, it undercuts its own coalition. The math is simple: you cannot win battleground states while alienating 76% to 98% of the construction electorate.
Bellaman draws a straight line from the Harris Poll data to electoral risk. As he stated: “With nonunion workers 76-98% of the battleground construction electorate and 83% demanding best-value procurement, EO 14063 alienates the workforce building America’s infrastructure—bad politics for 2026 midterms controlling Congress, bad business raising costs 12-18%.”
For members in North Carolina and South Carolina, the political reality is clear. As nonunion workers in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Greenville-Spartanburg see federal jobs funneled to a small group of union-signatory contractors, they will be more receptive to candidates running on procurement reform and the repeal of Executive Order 14063.
Defending open competition through government neutrality is both a business necessity and a politically resonant message with the actual construction workforce across the battleground map.
For ABC Carolinas members, mandated project labor agreements are already shaping real project opportunities—not some distant policy debate in Washington.
Current federal projects subject to EO 14063 in the Carolinas include:
Military Construction:
Data Center Corridor:
Federal Aid Highway Projects and Infrastructure:
ABC Carolinas reports 25% bid declines on PLA jobs. One documented example: $42M GSA Charlotte courthouse subcontract work lost when nonunion specialty subs declined to participate.
Contractors are asking practical questions: Can we bid this job? What will it do to our cost structure? How will our workforce respond?
Mandated PLAs can force a Carolinas merit shop contractor to restructure its workforce on a federal project. This means:
Margin pressures include:
When a nonunion prime signs a PLA to chase a large federal project around Charlotte or the Triangle, many preferred local subcontractors refuse to participate. The prime must cobble together an unfamiliar, often out-of-market team—undermining the relationships and performance continuity that win repeat work.
Over time, if project labor agreements remain mandated on federal construction projects, the Carolinas marketplace could bifurcate:
ABC Carolinas is aligned with the national Associated Builders and Contractors effort to repeal Executive Order 14063 and restore open, merit-based competition on federal projects.
Key advocacy channels include:
ABC Carolinas has also engaged in state PAC efforts, committing $500K+ in the 2026 cycle to backing pro-merit-shop, pro-open-competition candidates who understand the federal government’s interest in ensuring compliance with best-value principles rather than union preferences.
The Harris Poll results suggest nonunion construction workers are a decisive bloc in battleground states—and they strongly favor best-value federal contracting over union-only preferences.
This electoral reality increases pressure on candidates in North Carolina’s competitive congressional districts to articulate positions on Executive Order 14063 and government-mandated project labor agreements.
Possible policy scenarios include:
As of March 2023, 25 states have enacted laws banning government-mandated project labor agreements on state- and local-taxpayer-funded construction projects, and all legal challenges to these laws have failed. This provides a legislative template for federal action.
The underlying workforce reality—76% to 98% nonunion majority in every battleground state—will continue to shape how government officials and elected representatives view the political risk of siding with union-only contracting preferences through labor-management stability mandates.
Carolinas contractors should see this as a multi-cycle campaign requiring sustained advocacy, strong data, and visible engagement from business owners who can document lost opportunities.
You cannot afford to wait on Washington. Position your business for both advocacy and future opportunity.
Immediate action items:
ABC Carolinas provides a concrete lane for members to influence the future of project labor agreements and federal procurement in the region.
Get involved:
Support political action:
Access resources:
Host decision-makers:
Your nonunion employees, your skilled labor force, and your local workers deserve representation in this debate. Equal employment opportunity in federal contracting means open competition—not union-only preferences that exclude 90% of the construction users in this industry.
Executive Order 14063 and its implementing rule primarily cover direct federal construction projects—where the federal government is the contracting agency and owner—valued at $35 million or more. Projects subject to this threshold include USACE, GSA, VA, and DoD direct contracts.
Federally assisted projects (such as many highway and transit projects) can still be subject to project labor agreements at the discretion of state or local governments, but they are not automatically covered by the same blanket mandate as direct federal contracts.
Federal-aid highway projects, for example, may or may not require PLAs depending on how state DOTs structure their procurement processes.
Review each solicitation carefully and consult with ABC Carolinas when you see PLA or “project labor” language in bid documents.
Technically, yes. Non-union contractors can work on PLA projects if they agree to be bound by the agreement’s terms. However, doing so typically requires:
For many contractors in the Carolinas, the operational disruption and cost burden make this impractical.
The retirement benefits and other fringe benefits often don’t vest for short-term project workers, creating a lose-lose for both the employer and the employee.
Conduct a detailed financial analysis and talk with the ABC Carolinas staff before considering this path.
On a PLA-covered project, your existing employees may have to work under a collective bargaining agreement regardless of their personal preference to accept union representation or pay union dues. This creates confusion among loyal, long-term nonunion workers who value the merit shop culture.
Companies often must continue funding company-sponsored benefits while also contributing to union benefit funds required by the PLA. Short-term project workers rarely meet vesting requirements, meaning those union contributions provide no value to your team.
Communicate transparently with employees about how prevailing wage laws and PLA requirements would affect their compensation and working conditions before committing to a bid.
Small, minority-, and women-owned contractors have powerful voices in this debate. Share your stories with ABC Carolinas about construction projects you cannot or will not bid because of government-mandated PLAs.
Specific actions include:
Your experience helps ABC Carolinas and the Free Enterprise Alliance demonstrate that PLA mandates undermine small-business inclusion and community-based economic development goals.
Assign a specific leader inside your company—preconstruction director, government affairs manager, or owner—to track PLA-related developments and brief your executive team quarterly.
Maintain regular contact with ABC Carolinas staff to discuss upcoming federal bids, understand whether a project labor agreement is anticipated, and coordinate advocacy when a key opportunity is at stake in your market.
