Gov. Green: Hawaiʻi PLA to ensure steady labor supply in Lahaina rebuild

Gov. Josh Green, M.D. signed the Hawai‘i Project Labor Agreement (PLA) which he said will ensure a steady labor supply to help rebuild Lahaina and meet the state’s growing affordable housing pipeline.

The Hawai‘i PLA aligns with President Biden’s Executive Order 14063, which requires PLAs for most large-scale federal construction projects.

PLAs help contractors with the recruiting, hiring, and training of local workers and prohibit labor disruptions to ensure that construction projects are efficiently completed on deadline. They also require out-of-state contractors to exhaust the supply of local workers before importing labor from the mainland.

As ongoing West Maui recovery efforts continue, the rebuilding of housing units in Lahaina alone will require at least 2,000 additional construction workers.

“PLAs ensure that taxpayer dollars support public infrastructure and provide good-paying jobs for Hawaiʻi residents,” said Gov. Green. “Looking toward the future of our people, the PLA presents an opportunity to create long-term career paths in construction for our local residents, giving them an opportunity to afford the high cost of living in Hawai‘i, and build the homes we need to get us out of this housing crisis.”

The PLA can be found here: Administrative Directive 24-01. 

In a related matter, Gov. Green has nominated longtime procurement official Bonnie Kahakui to head the State Procurement Office, which oversees billions of dollars in contract awards and goods and services purchases made by the state each year.

“Bonnie Kahakui’s knowledge and background in procurement made her the natural choice to officially fill this critical position, especially at a time when Hawai‘i’s taxpayers expect accountability and integrity in managing public funds,” said Gov. Green.

Kahakui’s nomination to a four-year term as Administrator and Chief Procurement Officer of the State Procurement Office is subject to approval by the state Senate.

Since January 2021, Kahakui has served as Acting Administrator and Chief Procurement Officer and before that, she was the Procurement Office’s assistant administrator.

“Our focus is to streamline processes across state government while locating the best goods and services for our taxpayers,” Kahakui said.