August 31, 2009 – 8:55 am
Most of the academic “studies” published in support of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) are produced by state university “labor institutes” with close connections to labor unions and convenient funding from taxpayers. One of the most notorious is the University of California Labor Institute, established in 2000 at the behest of the California Labor Federation. This [...]
August 28, 2009 – 5:27 am
Penn State’s student run newspaper, The Daily Collegian, reports that the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has started the rebidding process for the $200 million State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Benner Township in Centre County, PA after costs from the initial round of bidding came in too high (“Prison construction bidding to resume,” 8/26). Despite predictions by politicians (specifically [...]
By Ben Brubeck
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Benner Township, Department of General Services, Keystone Research Center, Pennsylvania, PLA Basics, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Rendell, Rockview, Union-only PLAs harm local workers
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August 26, 2009 – 12:28 pm
There are several interesting developments in the fight for open competition in San Diego. San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Superintendent Terry Grier’s decision to take a new job in Houston, TX is no surprise to the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, who blame the local teachers union and their labor allies for pushing Mr. [...]
August 25, 2009 – 10:25 am
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has some interesting news related to the federal government’s rulemaking regarding the implementation of discriminatory and costly project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects. The comment period on proposed rules that would implement President Obama’s Feb. 6 Executive Order 13502 relating to federal PLAs, which had expired Aug. 13, was reopened with a new deadline of Sept. 23, [...]
August 24, 2009 – 11:25 am
The Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has delayed construction of the State Correctional Institution at Benner Township because of “unacceptably high bids,” according to state officials. In fact, Benner Township state Senator Jake Corman told local media that “the bids were tens of millions of dollars over the state’s estimated $200 million cost for the [...]
August 21, 2009 – 2:48 pm
In an outstanding editorial, the Las Vegas Review Journal has come out against a proposed Clark County requirement that PLAs be utilized on all county construction projects over $100,000. The editorial points out that PLAs increase construction costs, limit competition and hurt small women and minority-owned businesses. The last line of this editorial sums up [...]
August 20, 2009 – 4:45 pm
The citizens of Chula Vista, California will have the opportunity to vote against Big Labor favoritism. ABC of San Diego’s petition to require open competition on city-funded construction projects received the required 10,399 signatures to be placed on the ballot in June 2010. If adopted, this ballot measure will prohibit wasteful and discriminatory union-only projects [...]
August 19, 2009 – 11:00 am
Remember when Vegas construction unions were willing to gamble with union pension funds to secure union-only PLAs on public projects? That effort failed so now they are turning to their political friends to secure union-only contracts. The Las Vegas Review Journal reports that Clark County Commissioners are reviewing a policy that would require discriminatory and costly project labor agreements [...]
August 14, 2009 – 6:01 am
Yesterday was the deadline for regulatory comments in response to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council’s proposed rule to implement Executive Order 13502 regarding the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects. Relying on factual evidence and industry experience, numerous trade associations and hundreds of ABC contractors yesterday submitted comments in strong opposition [...]
August 14, 2009 – 5:55 am
On July 15, 2009, ABC’s weekly electronic publication, Newsline, conducted an electronic poll of Newsline subscribers about the impact of government mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on bidding for public construction projects. The poll remained open until July 22, 2009 and readers were asked to respond to this question: “Would you be more likely or [...]
