1. (a) The State of Illinois has a compelling interest in awarding public works contracts so as to ensure the highest standards of quality and efficiency at the lowest responsible cost.
2. (b) A project labor agreement, which is a form of pre-hire collective bargaining agreement covering all terms and conditions of employment on a specific project, can ensure the highest standards of quality and efficiency at the lowest responsible cost on appropriate public works projects.
3. (c) The State of Illinois has a compelling interest that a highly skilled workforce be employed on public works projects to ensure lower costs over the lifetime of the completed project for building, repairs, and maintenance.
4. (d) Project labor agreements provide the State of Illinois with a guarantee that public works projects will be completed with highly skilled workers.
5. (e) Project labor agreements provide for peaceful, orderly, and mutually binding procedures for resolving labor issues without labor disruption, preventing significant lost-time on construction projects.
6. (f) Project labor agreements allow public agencies to predict more accurately the actual cost of the public works project.
7. (g) The use of project labor agreements can be of particular benefit to complex construction projects.

(Source: P.A. 97-199, eff. 7-27-11; 97-813, eff. 7-13-12.)