RHODE ISLAND, July 8 - Published on Wednesday, July 08, 2026
PAWTUCKET, RI — Joined by dozens of laborers from RI unions, Governor Dan McKee held a ceremonial bill signing for two construction-related bills at the site of the future Pawtucket High School, the location of the former McCoy Stadium. The speaking program included bill sponsors Representative John G. Edwards (D-Dist. 70, Tiverton), Representative Evan P. Shanley (D-Dist. 24, Warwick, East Greenwich) and Senator John P. Burke(D-Dist. 9, West Warwick); Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien; President of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council Michael F. Sabitoni; and Executive Director and General Counsel of BuildRI Gregory Mancini.
“These bills will help Rhode Island get projects built and create good-paying jobs,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Not only will they enhance public-private partnerships in Rhode Island, but they will establish best practices for Project Labor Agreements on large-scale projects and promote apprenticeship opportunities to grow our skilled labor force.”
Bills H7972 and S2735, sponsored by Representative Shanley and Senator Burke, put in place many best practices for Project Labor Agreements (PLA) for large-scale projects, including promoting apprenticeships, preventing work stoppages, and supporting labor harmony.
“Project labor agreements go a long way toward promoting the reliable supply of skilled and qualified labor,” said Representative Shanley. “We’ve seen that projects constructed under these agreements in Rhode Island are well-constructed, built safely, on time, and on budget. They tend to attract experienced, reliable contractors who bring a level of professionalism and responsibility to the jobs.”
“Since 2002, numerous public entities in Rhode Island have conducted 60 independent analyses that all determined inserting a project labor agreement into a public bid spec would achieve the goals and objectives of the state purchases act,” said Executive Director and General Counsel of BuildRI Gregory Mancini. “This legislation eliminates this unnecessary process as well as creates a presumption for a PLA on public works projects valued at $25 million or more. Due to the uniform record of the 60 analyses, the legislation unanimously passed the state senate and passed the House by a 68-1 vote. This law will ensure that there will be a reliable supply of well-trained, well-qualified skilled craftsmen and women to complete public works projects safely, timely, and at the lowest possible cost.”
Bills H7674 and S2822, sponsored by Rep. Edwards and Sen. Burke, are designed to promote public-private partnerships (P3) in Rhode Island to make the rules for entering into these kinds of agreements clear for everyone involved.
“Establishing clear regulations for public-private partnerships will create an environment for building investment in Rhode Island while at the same time encouraging strong labor standards that ensure a level of professionalism, experience and responsibility,” said Representative Edwards. “These partnerships have been shown to provide states with the ability to deliver complex infrastructure projects in a timely manner.”
“The P3 legislation that the governor will sign into law will leverage private investment to replace aging public infrastructure and invest in new important higher education initiatives,” said President of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council Michael F. Sabitoni. “It will send a strong message that Rhode Island is ready to collaborate with the private sector in constructing important public sector projects. We are to invest in our economy and our people, and we will do so with very strong labor standards in the law, including the use of project labor agreements on P3 projects valued at more than $25 million.”
“Supporting Rhode Island workers is an absolute top priority for me, and I was proud to sponsor the legislation being celebrated today. These measures will ensure our state is more fully utilizing the quality and expertise provided by union labor, enable creative solutions for our state’s infrastructure needs, open up new career pathways, and support working families. I am grateful to everyone whose support and hard work helped pass these bills into law,” said Senator Burke.
Construction continues to make strong progress on the new Pawtucket High School, with site work, foundations, and concrete operations advancing on the approximately 370,000-square-foot campus. Under the McKee Administration, more than $4 billion in school construction projects have been launched to create 21st-century learning environments across the state.
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