Transportation & Infrastructure

Advocacy Campaign Opposes Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Schemes in Infrastructure Bill

1 July 26, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

As Congress continues to craft legislation implementing a bipartisan infrastructure framework, ABC  issued a July 13 press release announcing a digital advocacy campaign opposing costly government-mandated project labor agreement schemes on the federal infrastructure legislation. ABC-Led Coalition Announces Six-Figure Advocacy Campaign Build America Local, a coalition of construction industry and business organizations led by Associated […]

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Biden Administration Circulates Draft Pro-Project Labor Agreement Executive Order For Federal Contracting

0 June 30, 2021  Federal Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com can confirm recent media reports that the Biden administration is circulating a draft executive order to federal agencies that will modify and expand President Obama’s Executive Order 13502, issued in February 2009, which encourages federal agencies to require project labor agreements on a case-by-case basis on federal construction projects exceeding $25 million in total […]

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Virginia General Assembly Sends Project Labor Agreement and Prevailing Wage Legislation to Gov. Northam – Take Action

0 March 11, 2020  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

Virginia’s General Assembly has sent legislation to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk that will needlessly increase the cost of taxpayer-funded public works construction projects, discourage competition from Virginia’s construction workforce and businesses. In addition, the legislation will steer contracts to out-of-state workers and firms instead of creating opportunities for certified small, women and minority contractors to […]

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Lawsuit Says Union-Signatory Contractor Excluded by Project Labor Agreement Mandated on Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission Scudder Falls Bridge

0 August 13, 2019  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

Joseph N. DiStefano, columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, knows a good story about corruption and waste at the expense of hardworking taxpayers when he sees one. In a column published August 12, 2019, DiStefano takes aim at a fishy project labor agreement scheme on a bridge construction project, mandated by an interstate bridge commission, that […]

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Pennsylvania Court Strikes Down PLA Mandate

0 January 22, 2019  Featured, Open Competition Works, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

ABC members Allan Myers and J.D. Eckman Inc. recently won a court case challenging the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s project labor agreement mandate for the Markley Street reconstruction project in Montgomery County. Tried in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the court ruled on Jan. 11 that PennDOT’s PLA mandate violated the state’s competitive bidding laws and discriminated against nonunion […]

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WSJ Project Labor Agreement Op-Ed: A Wisconsin Lesson for Trump the Builder

0 April 18, 2017  Featured, Federal Construction, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

The Wall Street Journal editorial and op-ed pages have invested barrels of ink opposing anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). In numerous instances (see pieces at end of blog post) the WSJ editorial board has derided PLA mandates, calling them “crony contracts,” “a rotten deal for taxpayers,” and worse: “PLAs are a form of political bid-rigging that robs […]

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Take Action: D.C. Council’s Pro-Project Labor Agreement Legislation Threatens Fair and Open Competition for DC Construction Contracts

0 July 6, 2016  Featured, School Construction, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

District of Columbia council members June 21 added language to Section 14 of The Procurement Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Amendment Act of 2016 (Bill 21-334) mandating the use of union-favoring project labor agreements (PLAs) on District of Columbia-funded construction contracts exceeding $50 million. Update 7/6/16: The ABC Metro Washington Chapter issued this press release in reaction to […]

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ABC Virginia President’s Letter Blasts Labor Boss’ Deceptive Pro-Project Labor Agreement Op-Ed

0 May 30, 2016  Featured, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

On May 28, 2016, The Virginia Pilot published a strong #NoPLAs letter to the editor by ABC Virginia President Patrick J. Dean in response to a pro-project labor agreement (PLA) op-ed submitted by Dennis Martire, vice president and Mid-Atlantic regional manager of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA): Letter: Benefits agreements hurt business, taxpayers May […]

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The West Coast’s Big Dig Boondoggle Woes Continue: Seattle’s Tunnel PLA Job Dangerous For Workers

0 March 22, 2016  Featured, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

Bad news continues to plague Washington state’s Highway 99 tunnel mega-project (PDF) underneath Seattle’s downtown waterfront, contradicting a number of key points lawmakers and construction union lobbyists use to sell government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) to owners, taxpayers and the media.   According to the AP, the Seattle Tunnel’s injury claims have totaled more than $2.5 […]

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