Monthly Archives: February 2010

Update on Lake Champlain Bridge Project Labor Agreement Controversy

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com covered the controversial proposed project labor agreement (PLA) on the Lake Champlain Bridge project spanning from Crown Point, N.Y. to Chimney Point, N.H. (“A Bridge to Government Waste and Discrimation,” 2/16). Here is an update for readers following this story. On Feb. 12 the Vermont Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing on the Lake Champlain Bridge [...]

PLAs Help Increase Construction Union Membership

The Daily Caller published an opinion piece today by Brett McMahon, vice president of Miller & Long, a concrete construction subcontractor, based in Bethesda, Md., and a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors (“State of the unions: Not good,” 2/26/10) that discusses how Big Labor is turning to their political chums to implement policies that [...]

Top Union Official In San Diego Believes Voters Don’t Get it!

Several polls taken in San Diego County over the past year consistently indicate that more than 90 percent of voters agree with the very basic statement that taxpayers get the best quality construction for the best price when contracts are bid under fair and open competition, without requirements that contractors must sign special agreements with [...]

San Diego County Supervisors Ban Project Labor Agreements

The County of San Diego Board of Supervisors, representing the sixth most populous county in the country, voted 5-0 today to ban project labor agreements (PLAs) on County construction projects.  On Mar. 2, 2010, the Supervisors will adopt the ordinance (second reading), adding section 428 to the County Administrative Code prohibiting the County from requiring PLAs [...]

Pennsylvania State Senator Lloyd Smucker On PLAs

Pennsylvania Senator Lloyd Smucker got a chance to offer his thoughts on wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) at a Feb. 16 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing with Department of General Services (DGS) Secretary James Creedon and Dep. Secretary for Procurement/Appropriations Anne Rung. As regular readers recall, DGS lead on effort on behalf of the [...]

Iowa State Representative on Culver Pro-PLA Executive Order

In a Feb. 9 guest column in the Des Moines Register, State Representative Ralph Watts offers his thoughts on Governor Chet Culver’s Executive Order 22, which encourages state agencies to consider project labor agreements (PLAs) on state construction, and also some of Big Labor’s other priority issues in Iowa in 2010. On Executive Order 22 [...]

Replicating Failure In D.C.

It looks like Big Labor’s grip on the federal government isn’t enough to satisfy the construction union bosses.  They also want to control all locally funded construction in D.C. as well. Clearly on behalf of Big Labor, District Council member Michael Brown recently introduced legislation that would require wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) [...]

Report Exposes Provision Encouraging Project Labor Agreements on California Design-Build Projects

The California State Senate’s Local Government Committee issued a 212-page report about design-build contracting on February 16 that includes comments from Associated Builders and Contractors of California criticizing language in design-build authorization laws that encourages project labor agreements (PLAs). Local governments as well as Governor Schwarzenegger are fans of the alternative construction delivery method of [...]

PLAs Are Political Payback To Big Labor

There is a textbook example of PLAs being used as political payback to Big Labor from politicians that need union support brewing in Iowa right now. This is a story about America’s most politically endangered incumbent governor and the unrealized dreams of one special interest group – Big Labor. When Democrats took over Iowa’s state [...]

A Bridge to Government Waste and Special Interests

Nonunion contractors, their employees and prominent VT and NY construction trade associations are outraged about a proposed government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on the Champlain Bridge reconstruction and one group is even considering a lawsuit to stop this special interest handout to Big Labor.   The reconstruction of “The Bridge to Government Waste and Special Interests” [...]

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