Construction Union Booze Crews Targeted for Drinking on PLA-Covered Ground Zero Projects
Its last call for the union hard hats getting hammered before returning to work on Ground Zero construction jobsites covered by project labor agreements (PLAs). Last month, the New York Post reported the Port Authority is cracking down on drinking by construction union members following a series of accidents and reports of excessive workday boozing [...]
Workers Injured on San Fran Union-Only Construction Jobsite Financed by Union Pension Fund
Last week four union construction workers were seriously injured in an accident at the $40 million Potrero Launch apartment project in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood (“Four hospitalized after SF construction accident,” 8/31/11): The roof support structure gave way and collapsed onto three workers below, who were in a stairwell on the sixth floor, he said. [...]
Do Project Labor Agreements Ensure Compliance with Labor Laws?
It is a myth that anti-competitive government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) — schemes public officials beholden to Big Labor’s special interests execute to funnel lucrative public construction contracts to unionized contractors and union members in return for continued political support — ensure compliance with labor and employment laws and regulations.
An audit found violations by 55 contractors working on a $150 million Los Angeles Unified School District high school under construction in San Fernando, Calif., subject to a government-mandated PLA. The violations include failure to pay prevailing wages and inadequate supervision of apprentices. Four of the contractors had expired or suspended licenses.
The audit results demonstrate contractors working under a government-mandated PLA violate labor laws, yet PLA proponents frequently perpetuate the myth that a PLA prevents labor law infractions on PLA projects. This example shows how the presence of a PLA does little to ensure compliance with labor laws and the arguments in support of PLA mandates are weak.
Evidence That Project Labor Agreements Do Not Guarantee a Safer Workplace
Big Labor Bosses and their hand-picked political puppets claim that anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are in the public’s best interest. In reality, PLAs are crony contracting schemes implemented by corrupt elected officials that funnel lucrative public works contracts to union contractors and their union employees in exchange for political support. Taxpayers are [...]
NYC PLA Proponents Busted by FBI for Racketeering and Other Crimes
Bosses from the New York District Council Carpenters Union are notorious for pushing project labor agreements (PLAs), using inflatable Rats and organizing disruptive pickets and boycotts against contractors and innocent customers in an effort to eliminate qualified nonunion contractors and their skilled merit shop workforce from eroding union market share in the greater NYC region. This week [...]
FlashReport Takes Big Labor’s PLA Arguments to the Woodshed
Joe Fleischman of the FlashReport Weblog on California Politics obliterates project labor agreement (PLA) proponents’ frail arguments in light of a recent report that Milpitas City Library contractors violated labor laws despite the fact that this project was covered by a PLA (“More Fodder For Opponents Of Project Labor Agreements Courtesy Of Milpitas,” 1/12). Mr. Fleishman on [...]
Milpitas City Library Project PLA: A “Model Of Success”
Big Labor and their allies often claim that wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) guarantee that workers will be paid fair wages and ensure that contractors on covered projects follow the highest labor standards. Nevertheless, the Taxpayers Accountability Project of Associated Builders and Contractors, California Cooperation Committee (ABC-CCC) found at least 56 violations of [...]