Monthly Archives:: April 2011

ABC Virginia Tells MWAA Phase 2 Metro Rail Construction Project Labor Agreement Scheme Will Increase Costs and Hurt Virginia’s Construction Workforce

0 April 26, 2011  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

The Virginia Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC VA) continues to raise objections to the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) resolution mandating a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) on $3.5 billion worth of Phase 2 construction for the Dulles Metro Rail Project. On Friday, ABC VA sent a letter (pdf) to MWAA chair Charles Snelling […]

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Big Labor Crashes Dulles Metro Rail Press Conference, Stifles Objections to Costly Project Labor Agreement Scheme

0 April 20, 2011  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

On April, 18 Laborers Union (LIUNA) Local 657 and other members and paid astroturfers guests of the Washington Metropolitan Council, AFL-CIO, bused in disruptive protestors from Washington, D.C., and Maryland to crash a press conference held by U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf concerning $3.5 billion worth of construction for Phase 2 of the Dulles Metro Rail project […]

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Washington Examiner Local Editorial: Dulles Rail PLA Insults Virginians, Favors Big Labor

0 April 19, 2011  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

A Washington Examiner editorial raises a number of concerns and focuses on disturbing corruption related to Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) April 6 resolution mandating an anti-competitive and costly union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) on Phase 2 construction for the $3.5 billion Dulles Metro Rail project (“Dulles Rail PLA Insults Virginians, Favors Big Labor,” 4/18): Virginia is a […]

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Report Documents Problems Involving Minorities and Women on PLA Projects

0 April 15, 2011  Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

As part of our ongoing series publishing the truth about government-mandated projects labor agreements (PLAs), here is a chapter documenting Problems Involving Minorities and Women on PLA Projects from Maury Baskin’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition). VII.     PLA Problems Involving Minorities and Women  Some recent PLAs have included […]

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Phase 2 of Dulles Corridor Metro Project Subject to Anti-Competitive and Costly Special Interest Scheme: Metro Washington Airport Authority Passes Resolution Requiring Project Labor Agreement

0 April 13, 2011  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

On April 6, 2011, the full Metro Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) board passed a resolution [1] 11-2 requiring an estimated $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion worth of construction for Phase 2 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project to be subject to a project labor agreement (PLA).[2] When mandated by government agencies, these agreements are very […]

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Report Documents Safety Problems on PLA Projects

0 April 13, 2011  Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

As part of our ongoing series publishing the truth about government-mandated projects labor agreements (PLAs), here is a chapter documenting Safety Problems on PLA Projects from Maury Baskin’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition). VI. Safety Problems on PLA Projects The public record also does not support claims of […]

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Arizona Bans Greenmail, Government-Mandated PLAs on State and Local Projects

0 April 12, 2011  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

Arizona is the latest state to ban the use of wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on state and local construction projects. On April 6, Gov. Jan Brewer signed S.B. 1403, which prohibits state and local entities from requiring contractors to sign a PLA as a condition of performing taxpayer funded construction. Similar […]

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Report Documents Construction Defects on PLA Projects

0 April 12, 2011  Uncategorized

As part of our ongoing series publishing the truth about government-mandated projects labor agreements (PLAs), here is a chapter documenting Construction Defects on PLA Projects from Maury Baskin’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition). V. Construction Defects on PLA Projects Many PLA projects have suffered from serious construction defects, […]

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New California Legislation Targets Union Abuse of Environmental Laws Meant to Squeeze Project Labor Agreements Out of Private Developers

0 April 11, 2011  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

When Governor Ronald Reagan signed the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, (now comprising California Public Resources Code Sections 21000-21177) into law in 1970, many California state legislators believed the law would only apply to public projects, such as highways. The courts decided otherwise, and now unions routinely victimize private developers by abusing and exploiting […]

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Report Documents Construction Delays on PLA Projects

1 April 11, 2011  Uncategorized

As part of our ongoing series publishing the truth about government-mandated projects labor agreements (PLAs), here is a chapter documenting Construction Delays on PLA Projects from Maury Baskin’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition). IV. Construction Delays on PLA Projects Another argument often made in support of government-mandated PLAs […]

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