New Jersey | The Truth About PLAs

Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Union Contractors and Tradespeople

August 24, 2011 – 2:51 pm

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 [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Empire State, AGC, Bayonne, Building Industry Electrical Contractors Association (BIECA), Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Union Contractors and Tradespeople, Hill International, International Steelworkers Union, Keystone Research Center, Legal Challenge, New Jersey, New York, New York Building and Construction Trades Council, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Union Contractors Opposed to PLAs, United Electrical Contractors Association (UECA) | Comments (1)

ABC Members Testify in Support of Legislation Restoring Fairness in Federal Contracting

June 7, 2011 – 11:32 am

On June 3, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform Subcommittee held a hearing, “H.R. 735 and Project Labor Agreements: Restoring Competition and Neutrality to Government Construction Projects.” The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. James Lankford (R-Okla.), heard testimony about the negative impact of President Obama’s controversial Executive Order 13502 [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged AGC, Beacon Hill Institute, Daniel Gordon, David G. Tuerck, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GSA, Hearing, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform Subcommittee, Kirby Wu, Massachusetts, Maury Baskin, Mike Kennedy, New Jersey, OMB, PLAs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Rep. James Lankford, Rep. Mike Kelly, Rep. Tim Walberg, Sullivan, Susan Brita, Technology, The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act, U.S. House Hearing, Wall Street Journal, Washington DC | Comments (0)

ABC Wins Another Challenge Against Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements on Federal Construction Projects

January 6, 2011 – 10:32 am

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com is pleased to share a news release about ABC’s latest win against anti-competitive and costly federal government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). ABC, ABC members and TheTruthAboutPLAs.com continue to lead the fight against special interest PLA schemes on behalf of the construction industry, concerned taxpayers and supporters of the principles of fair and open competition [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Western Pennsylvania, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GAO, Lafayette Building, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, The Politics of PLAs, Veterans Administration, Washington DC, Washington Examiner | Comments (2)

New Jersey Letter to the Editor Tells the Truth About PLAs

November 9, 2010 – 1:35 pm

In an outstanding letter to the editor published by the Trenton Times (“Building a Case Against PLAs,” 11/8/10), ABC New Jersey Chapter president Patrick Stewart lays out the facts about wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs). And interestingly enough, he gets some help from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Here [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chris Christie, New Jersey, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs | Comments (2)

Federal Project Labor Agreement Removed from Army Project in Los Alamitos, California

September 30, 2010 – 10:18 am

Another costly and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) has been removed from a federal construction project thanks to grassroots participation from the construction community, concerned taxpayers, ABC members and their employees. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) removed a PLA from the bid solicitation for the construction of a $25 million to $100 million Army [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, California, Executive Order 13502, FAR Final Rule, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, Florida, Grassroots, New Jersey, PLAs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Take Action, US Army Corps of Engineers | Comments (1)

ABC Wins Challenge Against Mandatory Federal PLA in New Jersey

August 26, 2010 – 8:54 am

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and its members have stopped another government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on a proposed federal construction project. This is yet another blow to the Obama administration’s effort to implement Executive Order 13502, which encourages the use of PLAs on federal construction costing more than $25 million. In this most recent [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, FAR Final Rule, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GAO, New Jersey, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, US Army Corps of Engineers | Comments (0)

Moorestown, NJ Rejects Wasteful and Discriminatory PLA for New Town Hall

July 13, 2010 – 12:09 pm

There is a new chapter in the public record of poor performance of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). Facing bid prices that were at least 35 percent higher than the proposed budget for the construction of a new town hall and library complex, the Moorestown Township Council decided to withdraw its requirement that all contractors [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chris Christie, local legislation, New Jersey, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Increase Costs, The Politics of PLAs | Comments (0)

Asbury Park Press Calls On NJ Governor Christie To End The Use Of PLAs

January 26, 2010 – 2:42 pm

In a January 24 editorial, the Asbury Park Press reduced newly inaugurated Governor Chris Christie’s 88 point plan for New Jersey into 20 items the editorial board believes should be tackled immediately. Item #17 caught our attention: 17. End the use of project labor agreements, which drive up the cost of public construction projects. Here [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ashbury Park Press, Chris Christie, Editorial, New Jersey, State Executive Order, State Legislation | Comments (1)

Governor Christie Takes Office, Vows to End Project Labor Agreements

January 19, 2010 – 3:45 pm

At noon today, Chris Christie took the oath of office and became Governor of New Jersey. By electing a Republican in this blue state, voters sent a signal to state officials that they want a change. The people of New Jersey are no longer willing to accept high taxes and waste from their state government. [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chris Christie, New Jersey, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, State Executive Order, State Legislation, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (2)

New Jersey Project Labor Agreement Debate Grows

December 8, 2009 – 9:26 am

The debate over government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) in New Jersey is in the news again. New Jersey’s Asbury Park Press ran a scathing editorial opposed to PLAs (Costly PLAs Must Be Ended, 11/16) that TheTruthAboutPLAs covered here. The paper published an Op-Ed defending PLAs by Phillip E. Cooney, vice president of the New Jersey Carpenter Contractor [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Asbury Park Press, Editorial, Fall River, New Jersey, Op-Ed, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (1)