Construction in Ingham County is big business.

More than $2 million dollars was spent on all types of construction projects last year, and more than $3 million could be spent this year.

"We don't have a comprehensive construction policy and we've had problems with our past two jobs," Ingham County Commissioner Debbie De Leon said.

After getting burned, the county is looking to protect itself, but there's controversy in the fine print.

"A PLA is mentioned a number of times in the document and it's important to understand the definition of a PLA," Chris Fisher, president of Associated Builders and Contractors said. "It means only union workers would get the jobs."

Fisher, who represents non-unionized workers, said the very definition of a project labor agreement means those not in a union will be left out of work.

"A majority of the construction workforce chooses not to be unionized," Fisher said, "and therefore they would be discriminated against."

"It doesn't discriminate at all," Andy Mosser, president of the Mid-Michigan Construction Alliance, said.

Mosser represents unionized construction workers, and he said the use of a PLA simply protects the county.

"There's more oversight, that the money used is going to the workers who deserve it, not some unscrupulous contractor," Mosser said.

The controversy over a PLA took hold at Tuesday's Board of Commissioners meeting, with hundreds showing up and showing support.

"They don't want to compete with accountability, with safety standards with diversity," one unionized construction worker said Tuesday night.

"I don't want to say this us versus them mentality," a non-unionized worker said. "If the county to goes strictly union, that leaves us out, the other qualified workers."

County Commissioners said they simply want the best person for the jobs.

"Is the county interested in hiring only unionized workers?" News Ten asked.

"The county is interested with what will provide us with the best product," De Leon said.

The Board of commissioners did not vote on the construction policy Tuesday. Commissioners will keep working on the language of the policy -- but aren't taking "PLA" off the table for now.