ABC Empire State

Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Failures on Federal and Federally Assisted Construction Projects

0 March 10, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction

ABC supports fair and open competition and opposes government-mandated project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted projects because hardworking taxpayers deserve more efficient and effective policies that will encourage all qualified contractors and their skilled workforce to compete to build long-lasting, quality projects at the best price. Just 12.7% of the U.S. construction workforce belongs […]

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New York Post Editorial Exposes Mayor’s Project Labor Agreement Scam Sleight of Hand

0 July 20, 2018  State & Local Construction

The New York Post editorial board probably won’t be getting a Christmas card from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) or NYC construction union bosses any time soon after they ran this editorial calling out the mayor for not substantiating promised savings from sweetheart deals on city construction projects with construction labor unions called […]

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NYC Union Strike Shuts Down Project Labor Agreement Jobsites Again

0 July 13, 2015  Featured, Open Competition Works, State & Local Construction

Earlier this month, New York City jobsites were shut down after unions failed to honor their project labor agreement’s (PLA) no-strike promise. It is at least the third time since 2011 various NYC unions blatantly violated no-strike provisions in controversial PLAs, which steer construction contracts to unionized contractors and provide jobs exclusively for union members […]

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Tappan Zee Bridge Project Labor Agreement Fuels Cycle of Political Cronyism in Public Contracting

0 June 25, 2013  Featured, Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

Last week, a Newsday article reported that a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) for construction of New York’s federally and state-funded Tappan Zee Bridge will result in a multi-million-dollar windfall for construction union political action committees (PACs) and their crony beneficiaries in government (“Tappan Zee project to boost unions’ political action funds,” 6/17/13): When Gov. […]

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ABC Empire State Chapter President Testifies in Opposition to PLA Mandates

0 February 2, 2012  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

ABC Empire State Chapter president Steve Lefebvre testified January 31 to New York State Legislature Joint Budget Hearing on Economic Development to discuss the negative impact of wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayer funded construction. (Mr. Lefebvre’s testimony starts at the 2:09 mark) In his testimony, Lefebvre tells committee members a story we followed […]

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ABC Empire State Chapter Urges Gov. Cuomo to Unshackle the Economic Power of Public Construction

0 January 8, 2012  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

Stephen Lefebvre, president of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) had some thoughts on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s state of the state address last week.  The ABC Empire State Chapter issued the press release below on January 5, where he wished Gov. Cuomo the best in 2012 and asked him […]

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Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Union Contractors and Tradespeople

1 August 24, 2011  State & Local Construction

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 City sheds light on unsung victims of these controversial, anti-competitive and costly special interest handouts that deny hardworking taxpayers the accountability they deserve from government contracts: Union contractors and some construction trade union members.

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Op-Ed: Labor Agreements Raise Construction Costs

0 August 28, 2010  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

In a guest op-ed published by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (“Labor Agreements Raise Construction Costs,” 8/28/10), Marci Miller of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors has some thoughts on the impact of wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) on local construction projects. Here are the highlights: Despite some claims to […]

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