Open Competition | The Truth About PLAs - Part 2

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s Open Competition Executive Order

September 20, 2011 – 10:32 am

Despite the attempts of lawmakers in California to override the will of local voters and their elected officials, not all of the news on wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) mandates from the states last week was bad. On Sept. 7, a federal District Court judge in Iowa dismissed a lawsuit filed by the [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Iowa, Boston Harbor, Executive Order, Gov. Terry Branstad, Iowa, Lawsuit, Open Competition, PLAs, State Executive Order | Comments (0)

Unions Unveil Last-Minute Legislative Schemes in California to End Local Fair and Open Competition Policies and Promote Project Labor Agreements

September 6, 2011 – 8:04 am

On the afternoon of September 2 – the Friday before Labor Day weekend – the California State Building and Construction Trades Council finally revealed its plot to terminate local efforts throughout the state to guarantee the best quality construction at the best price for taxpayers. Bills in the California State Legislature were “gutted and amended” [...]

By Kevin Dayton | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 20 in 2010, ABC California, Ballot Initiative, California, Chula Vista, City of Los Angeles, Greenmail, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Oceanside, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Prop G, Prop K, Proposition A, San Diego, San Diego County Taxpayers Association, San Gabriel Unified School District, SavePropS.com, SB 922, School Construction, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District | Comments (2)

WSJ Editorial: Government-mandated PLAs “Deserve to be Outlawed”

July 19, 2011 – 2:27 pm

The title says it all and we completely agree! The editorial board at The Wall Street Journal has again come out against wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated PLAs. Here are the highlights from the editorial (“Project Labor Revolt: The states ban union political bid-rigging. Obama demurs,” 7/19/11): One benefit of the squeeze on state and local [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2010 Election, ABC Iowa, ABC Michigan, Arizona, Arkansas, Ballot Initiative, California, Chula Vista, Editorial, Executive Order 13502, featured, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, Idaho, Iowa, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Open Competition, PLA Basics, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, State Executive Order, State Legislation, Tennessee, Utah, Wall Street Journal | Comments (3)

Stanislaus County Supervisors Vote to Approve Open Competition Ordinance

July 12, 2011 – 8:04 am

Today, the elected Board of Supervisors for Stanislaus County, Calif., voted 5-0 for a Fair and Open Competition ordinance. This will be the eighth local government in California to ensure taxpayers get the best quality construction at the best price by banning government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on county-funded construction projects. Lawmakers at all levels [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, California, County, local legislation, Northern California, Open Competition, PLA Ban, Placer County, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Stanislaus County, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (1)

Phase 2 Silver Line Dispute Grabs Headlines; Opposition to Project Labor Agreement Grows

June 29, 2011 – 11:42 am

Opposition continues to mount against the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) April 6 resolution mandating a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) that contractors are required to agree to in order to win construction contracts on the $3.5 billion Phase 2 Dulles Metro Rail Silver Line project in Northern Virginia. (See previous blog posts from TheTruthAboutPLAs.com [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Virginia, Barbara Comstock, Dennis Martire, Editorial, Fairfax County, Fairfax Times, GAO, Herndon Mayor Steve DeBenedittis, Jack Potter, Jim Lemunyon, Ken Cuccinelli, LIUNA, Loudoun County, Metro Washington Airport Authority, MWAA, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Ray LaHood, Silver Line, The Politics of PLAs, Thomas Greason, Tim Hugo, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Washington Times, WMAL 630, Women and Construction Owners and Executives | Comments (2)

One is the Loneliest Number for a Michigan Congressman

June 27, 2011 – 9:22 am

One is the loneliest number for Michigan Congressman Thad McCotter (R), who last week gained the distinction of being the only Republican in the U.S. House or the Michigan Senate to vote in favor of wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on public construction. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy covered this issue [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Brett McMahon, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Mackinac Center, Michigan, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Radio Interview, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

State Lawmakers Show U.S. House the Way Forward

June 22, 2011 – 12:34 pm

Despite a setback at the federal level, the drive for taxpayer value on public construction continued at the state level last week with several key states taking important actions. First, the Louisiana Legislature approved legislation that would ban government-mandated PLAs on all state and local construction in the state. This bill, S.B. 76, received bi-partisan [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Michigan, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, State Legislation, The Politics of PLAs | Comments (0)

Voters in City of Sacramento and County of Sacramento Asked to Ensure Fair and Open Competition for Construction Contracts

June 10, 2011 – 10:28 am

On Thursday, June 9, a group of local contractors, construction workers, business associations, and taxpayer advocates held a press conference announcing the launch of an audacious campaign to win voter approval of two ballot measures that would ensure fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction contracts in the City of Sacramento and in the County [...]

By Kevin Dayton | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, Ballot Initiative, California, Greenmail, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs Increase Costs, Sacramento | Comments (0)

U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to Examine Costly Government-Mandated PLAs Again

June 1, 2011 – 3:16 pm

On Friday, June 3, at 9:30 AM, the Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing, “H.R. 735 and Project Labor Agreements: Restoring Competition and Neutrality to Government Construction Projects.” This hearing is the next step in the legislative process towards House passage [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, Hearing, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, OMB Memo, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, U.S. House Hearing, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Idaho Becomes 7th State to Ban Government-Mandated PLAs on State and Local Projects

March 4, 2011 – 3:24 pm

One more state says YES to ensuring taxpayer value on public construction projects! Gov. Butch Otter yesterday signed S.B. 1006 banning state and political subdivisions from requiring contractors to sign a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement or other deals with a labor union as a condition of performing work on public projects. Idaho joins [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, Idaho, Open Competition, PLA Ban, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, State Legislation | Comments (2)