New York Firm Wins Lawsuit Against NYS DOT’s Government-Mandated PLA

There was a significant legal victory for taxpayers and merit shop construction firms in New York recently. As we reported in 2011, the New York State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) implemented a project labor agreement (PLA) requirement on a highway reconstruction and bridge replacement project near Exit 122 on Route 17 in Orange County, [...]

Labor Department to Mandate Controversial Project Labor Agreement on Manchester Job Corps Center

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a pre-solicitation on Dec. 22, 2011, for a $20 million to $50 million DOL Job Corps Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, indicating the project will be subject to an anti-competitive and costly project labor agreement (PLA) mandated by the DOL. Bidding is open only to certified small business [...]

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 [...]

The Truth About the Recent PA Supreme Court Ruling

The Pennsylvania Supreme Count issued a preliminary ruling on the Hawbaker, et al. v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of General Services, et al. Several uninformed media outlets have indicated that this ruling is an endorsement of PLAs.  This is not the case. This case stems from former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell administration’s effort to force PLA requirements [...]

Op-Ed: ABC Fights to Preserve Apprenticeship Training Opportunities for Future Construction Work Force

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of California Government Affairs Director and TheTruthAboutPLAs.com contributor Kevin Dayton outlines the history of wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) in regard to apprenticeship in California in a June 1 op-ed titled, “ABC Fights to Preserve Apprenticeship Training Opportunities for Future Construction Work Force,” published by the San Diego [...]

Why the Final Rule Implementing President Obama’s Project Labor Agreement Executive Order Should Be Challenged

ABC General Counsel Maurice Baskin, Esq., Venable LLP, today released a thorough analysis of the final rule implementing President Obama’s Feb. 6, 2009 pro-project labor agreement (PLA) Executive Order 13502. The analysis, The Final Rule Implementing the PLA Executive Order: Why it Should Be Challenged, describes why and how the final rule is violating the law. [...]

Another Hidden PLA Problem: Apprentice Fringe Benefit Contributions

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com and ABC routinely field questions from contractors about the risks and dangers of signing project labor agreements (PLAs). This summary of a recent case by labor attorney David P. Wolds of the Wolds Law Group of San Diego, CA is yet another example of how a contractor trying their best to comply with the rigged procurement [...]

Delays and Increased Construction Costs Plague PA Prison

Pennsylvania’s Graterford Prison project labor agreement (PLA) controversy is in the Philadelphia newspapers again. No progress has been made on the construction of this important project. Looking for something to blame? It’s the PLA, stupid! Looking for someone to blame? Blame Big Labor’s lobbyists for pushing costly, job-killing special interest PLAs and blame public officials for allowing these [...]

Project Labor Agreement Strings Trip New Hampshire Job Corps Center

ICYMI, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) cancelled its solicitation for bids to construct a new Job Corps Center in Manchester, N.H. under a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA). The cancellation came in response to a protest filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) by ABC member North Branch Construction of Concord, N.H., with ABC support [...]

First Project Labor Agreement Under Obama Administration Cancelled

We have breaking news about the controversial U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Job Corps Center that has been covered numerous times here at TheTruthAboutPLAs.com. Below is a news release from ABC National. New Release ABC Defeats Unlawful and Discriminatory New Hampshire Construction Contract  Move Comes in Response to ABC Member Protest Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors [...]

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