Tribune-Review: Students Get Lesson in “Consequences of Blowing off Homework and Disregarding Basic Economics”

1 September 9, 2010  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s editorial board offered its thoughts on the latest effort by Big Labor to monopolize construction work in the Pittsburgh area.  This time, it is the Penn Hills School Board that has bended to the demands of local union bosses and required a project labor agreement (PLA) on an upcoming $130 million high school project.

Here is the Tribune-Review’s take (“The Penn Hills PLA,” 9/8/10):

Eight Penn Hills School District board members who voted to require only union labor on a construction project ensured that taxpayers will bear needless additional costs — and set a bad example for students.

Those eight are guilty of “failing to do their homework” before voting for the project labor agreement (PLA) on Penn Hills’ $130 million high school and elementary center project, as Bob Glancy put it. He’s chairman of Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Pennsylvania, whose members employ the 85 percent of area construction workers who aren’t unionized — firms and workers who are unfairly denied opportunities by PLAs.

The group, whose lawsuit over another PLA prompted Community College of Allegheny County to halt bidding on a science center project, is considering suing the school district, too. So one way or another, Penn Hills taxpayers will pay more — either for district legal costs or for costs that the district’s PLA will add to its project, as studies prove that PLAs do.

Still, it’s a “teachable moment.” Penn Hills students get real-world lessons about the consequences of blowing off homework and disregarding basic economics — lessons their elders on the board should have learned long ago.

As usual, the Tribune-Review is right on point.

If you live in this school district, we strongly encourage you to contact your school board members at 412-793-7000 and tell them that taxpayers deserve the best construction product for the best price.  Say NO to wasteful and discriminatory PLAs.

UPDATE: Here is a great blog post from a Penn Hills resident that is not happy with their school boards “sop” to Big Labor: http://www.libertyreborn.com/2010/09/09/penn-hills-school-district-lays-down-with-dogs/

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One Response to Tribune-Review: Students Get Lesson in “Consequences of Blowing off Homework and Disregarding Basic Economics”

BenBrubeck September 10, 2010 at 8:26 am

More coverage in the Post Gazette:
http://www.postgazette.com/pg/10252/1085986-56.stm

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