ABC Empire State Chapter President Testifies in Opposition to PLA Mandates
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 [...]
ABC Empire State Chapter Urges Gov. Cuomo to Unshackle the Economic Power of Public Construction
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 [...]
Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Union Contractors and Tradespeople
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.
Op-Ed: Labor Agreements Raise Construction Costs
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 [...]
Update on Lake Champlain Bridge Project Labor Agreement Controversy
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com covered the controversial proposed project labor agreement (PLA) on the Lake Champlain Bridge project spanning from Crown Point, N.Y. to Chimney Point, N.H. (“A Bridge to Government Waste and Discrimation,” 2/16). Here is an update for readers following this story. On Feb. 12 the Vermont Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing on the Lake Champlain Bridge [...]
A Bridge to Government Waste and Special Interests
Nonunion contractors, their employees and prominent VT and NY construction trade associations are outraged about a proposed government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on the Champlain Bridge reconstruction and one group is even considering a lawsuit to stop this special interest handout to Big Labor. The reconstruction of “The Bridge to Government Waste and Special Interests” – [...]
Anti-Competitive and Wasteful PLA on Champlain Bridge Project Criticized by ABC Empire State
The Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors issued this press release in opposition to a proposed government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on the Champlain bridge reconstruction project spanning from Essex County, NY to Addison County, VT that is funded by federal, NY and VT dollars. TheTruthAboutPLAs will provide additional coverage on this story soon. February 12, [...]