Op-Ed

Op-Ed: PLAs Really are Nothing More than Handouts

0 February 4, 2011  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

In an outstanding op-ed, Marci Miller of the Empire State Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors tells the truth about wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs): they are nothing more than special interest handouts that deprive taxpayers of the accountability they deserve on public contracts. Here is an excerpt from the Rochester Business Journal […]

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Los Angeles is Laboring Under Greenmail

1 January 19, 2011  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

The January 17 Los Angeles Business Journal includes an opinion piece (Laboring Under ‘Greenmail’) by thetruthaboutPLAs.com blogger Kevin Dayton of Associated Builders and Contractors of California explaining that Los Angeles-based construction unions are exploiting the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and other environmental laws to hold up permits until the private developers of proposed projects […]

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National Black Chamber of Commerce Attacks Union Barriers to Black Employment in Construction

1 November 5, 2010  Federal Construction, Uncategorized

Harry Alford, National Black Chamber of Commerce president and frequent critic of discriminatory and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) penned another column trashing PLAs that will run in numerous newspapers across the country this week. The piece attacks special interest schemes similar to PLAs that funnel taxpayer-funded construction jobs to union members and away from the […]

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PLA Requirement Withdrawn from Ohio School Construction Projects

1 October 3, 2010  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

In a win for the taxpayers of Ohio, the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) has officially decided not to require contractors to enter into a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) in order to work on the construction of two new dormitories for the Ohio Schools for the Blind and Deaf. While this development is not wholly unexpected, […]

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This is a Stick-up!

0 September 2, 2010  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

There is an interesting story on Fox & Hounds Daily (California politics and business blog) about big Labor and their allies push for costly project labor agreements (PLAs) even on privately funded projects built to benefit society – like museums. Here are the highlights with our emphasis added (L.A. to Eli Broad: ‘Stick ’em Up’, […]

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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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UCLA Professor: Project Labor Agreements Bad for Economy

2 July 10, 2010  Federal Construction, Uncategorized

UCLA economics professor Lee O’Hanian writes July 8 in the Wall Street Journal that “recent decisions by President Obama and his administration to increase unionization are steps in the wrong direction” to achieve economic recovery in America: These steps include executive orders that increase union bargaining power, including one that gave preference to union labor on […]

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Elmer: Obama Administration Kicking Construction When it’s Down

0 July 6, 2010  Federal Construction, Uncategorized

In an must-read op-ed penned by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National Chairman Jim Elmer of Spokane, WA for The Seattle Times (“Obama Administration Kicking Construction When it’s Down,” 7/5/10), Elmer lays out the chilling, job-killing impact that the Obama administration’s pro-Big Labor policies are having on main street construction firms. Here are the highlights […]

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Boston Globe Columnist: Labor Agreements Make No Sense

0 June 28, 2010  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

The Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby blasts Mass. Gov. Patrick’s support of anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on Umass-Boston construction projects (“Labor agreements make no sense,” 6/27). THIS IS the kind of thing, Charlie Baker was saying one day last week, that “makes people crazy about state government.’’ The Republican gubernatorial candidate was […]

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