District of Columbia Big Labor Bosses Busted for Pay-to-Play Politics

1 March 30, 2010  State & Local Construction

A TruthAboutPLAs.com reader has sent us evidence we are sharing with the public that demonstrates that the AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council is engaged in shameless pay-to-play politics with Prince George’s County (Maryland) officials.

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has covered how a lobbyist for the AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council perpetuated misleading/intentionally false statements in support of District Resident Employment and Trade Stimulus Act of 2010 (Bill 18-650), which would require contractors building District construction projects costing more than $200,000 that receive government assistance to sign government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs).

In this June 11, 2008 letter to Prince George’s County Elected Officials, the AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council sent a ransom note proposed a “new contract between labor and elected officials in the County” [Emphasis added].

“Organized Labor and the Democratic Party have by tradition supported each other over the last 72 years.  In the past several months, however, this has not been the case in Prince George’s County.  Labor has come under attack by Prince George’s County Democratic Party leadership in the form of disparaging statements made by the Chair and Vice Chair of the County Democratic Central Committee.  This has disappointed and angered the members of the labor community.  Also disappointing is the lack of public support, since October of last year, from other elected officials in the County.  Many of you have been endorsed and been given money and support by labor unions.  You reach out to Labor when you needed support and labor faithfully provided that support.  Unfortunately, it appears that we cannot expect that support to be reciprocal.”

Corruption: This is how Big Labor Leverages Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements

Corruption: This is How Big Labor Leverages Politics to Secure Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements

Included in Big Labor’s laundry list of demands is this gem:

“Support for Community Benefit Agreements which would require local hiring, training programs, labor peace and project labor agreements on all publicly funded economic development projects in the County.”

Yep. Community Benefit Agreements, another deceptive name used to hide corrupt project labor agreements (we call it lipstick on the PLA pig), are the currency of corruption in this pay-to-play game.

Is there any doubt that the shenanigans in Prince George’s County are the exact style of special interests and corrupt politics pushing this bad legislation before the D.C. Council?

It is time to hold Big Labor and the corrupt politicians accountable for participating in these special interest schemes.

So what were the consequences for Prince George’s County politicians if Big Labor’s PLA demands were not met?

“Until the elected officials of the County sign on to this Progressive Labor Partnership Contract, the affiliates of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO will continue to refuse requests for any and all support from those elected officials who refuse to support us.”

Isn’t that the definition of quid pro quo?

Taxpayer-funded contracts should be about the BEST work at the BEST price. Always.  It’s our right and responsibility to hold elected officials accountable.  Stop the lobbyists, stop the corruption and stop government waste.

Corruption has no place in local government and neither does a symptom of that corruption like the District Resident Employment and Trade Stimulus Act of 2010 (Bill 18-650).

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One Response to District of Columbia Big Labor Bosses Busted for Pay-to-Play Politics

Union-backed initiatives increase costs for government | Washington Free Beacon March 14, 2013 at 4:07 pm

[…] push to implement PLAs came after the AFL-CIO pressured councilmembers to support PLAs in 2010. “AFL-CIO will continue to refuse requests for any and all support from those elected officials […]

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