August 24, 2011 – 2:51 pm
The debate surrounding government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) is often framed by the media and elected officials as a dispute pitting union signatory contractors and their union employees against nonunion contractors and their nonunion employees. However, a recent lawsuit attacking government-mandated PLAs on $6 billion worth of taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects through 2014 in New York [...]
By Ben Brubeck
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged ABC Empire State, AGC, Bayonne, Building Industry Electrical Contractors Association (BIECA), Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Union Contractors and Tradespeople, Hill International, International Steelworkers Union, Keystone Research Center, Legal Challenge, New Jersey, New York, New York Building and Construction Trades Council, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Union Contractors Opposed to PLAs, United Electrical Contractors Association (UECA)
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August 19, 2011 – 9:22 am
The Sacramento News & Review, a long-established independent alternative weekly newspaper, has just published a well-written article explaining perspectives on project labor agreements (PLAs) and the proposed Fair and Open Competition ballot measures for the City of Sacramento and County of Sacramento. It includes comments from two local elected officials, a local contractor, and Kevin [...]
August 17, 2011 – 10:40 am
On August 15, State of Nevada District Court Judge Jerry Wiese ruled that a project labor agreement (PLA) imposed on contractors by the elected Clark County Board of Commissioners for a $17 million prison project in Las Vegas violated the state’s competitive bidding laws. The Nevada Supreme Court has asked Judge Wiese to evaluate the [...]
By Andy Conlin
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Clark County, Kevin Dayton, Las Vegas, Lawsuit, Nevada, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Prisons, Project Labor Agreements
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August 14, 2011 – 9:49 am
Illinois taxpayers are having a rough go of it lately. While leaders in many states have reshaped their state governments to use public funds more efficiently and provide some relief to taxpayers, Illinois lawmakers have decided to go the other way on this issue. Illinois lawmakers went after people’s pocketbooks directly in early 2011, enacting [...]
By Andy Conlin
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Blagojevich, Executive Order, Gov. Quinn, Illinois, local legislation, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, State Executive Order, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers
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August 11, 2011 – 12:08 pm
While this blog is focused on the negative impact of project labor agreement (PLA) mandates on taxpayer funded construction, we have kept a watchful eye on both the Wisconsin recall elections and the debate over S.B. 5 in Ohio in recent months and have some thoughts to share. Many observers project that more than $30 [...]
August 10, 2011 – 10:41 am
Michelle Malkin has a new piece exposing disgraced Obama administration green jobs czar Van Jones’ latest attempt to advocate for policies that tilt the scales for construction workers with union cards when competing for federal construction. Here are the highlights with our emphasis added: The problem, posits [Van] Jones, is that his fellow community organizer [...]
By Andy Conlin
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged BCTD, Executive Order 13502, Green For All, Green Jobs, Michelle Malkin, Op-Ed, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, Van Jones
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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed S.B.165 on July 19 and it is already having an impact for taxpayers and the vast majority of the construction workforce that chooses not to join a labor union. This week, Wayne State University cancelled an RFP for the renovation of a softball locker room that contained a requirement that [...]
Construction unions market project labor agreements (PLAs) to public and private construction owners as a tool to guarantee labor peace on construction projects. But recent examples of strikes on PLA projects in NYC and other areas across the U.S. call into question the value of these anti-competitive schemes designed steer contracts to union contractors and union members. MYTH: [...]
By Ben Brubeck
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Boston Herald, Cement and Concrete Workers of New York, Crain's New York Business, featured, Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition), Indiana, Ironworkers, Joseph Hunt, Labor Unrest, Laborers International Union of North America, Laborers Union, Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineer, Los Angeles, Maury Baskin, New York, New York Building and Construction Trades Council, PLA Basics, PLA Myth, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, Project Labor Agreements, Regional Plan Association, Strikes, Wall Street Journal
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The Boston Herald published another editorial opposed to government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) last week. It longed for the day Mass. officials enact legislation ensuring that all qualified contractors and their skilled employees have a fair opportunity to compete and win state-funded construction contracts (“End Unpopular Pacts,” 7/27/11): The Wall Street Journal recently tallied up the [...]
