PLAs Cut Competition

Told You So: Project Labor Agreement on Connecticut High School Increased Costs and Reduced Competition

0 April 2, 2013  School Construction, State & Local Construction

In 2012, the merit shop contracting community and city employees predicted Meriden, Conn., would face increased costs and reduced competition if the city council mandated a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) on $220 million worth of contracts to renovate two local high schools. (TheTruthAboutPLAs.com covered the controversy here and here). Despite the warnings, testy public […]

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Maryland Cozies Up to Project Labor Agreement Schemes

0 October 11, 2012  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

Free enterprise is under attack in Maryland and the merit shop contracting community, which employs 88.6 percent of the state’s construction workforce, will be denied a fair opportunity to compete for construction contracts due to the rise of special interest favoritism. Two recent media reports highlight how Maryland lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) are capitulating to Big […]

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Who Is Hill International and Why Does It Promote Government-Mandated PLAs?

1 July 19, 2012  Federal Construction, School Construction, State & Local Construction

Who is Hill International and why does it consistently support and promote anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs)? In short, Hill International is a corporate PLA pimp. Read on to learn why this isn’t hyperbole. Many local, state and federal entities in charge of taxpayer-funded construction contracts are required by law or directed […]

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Michigan Again Bans PLA Mandates on Taxpayer-Funded Construction

0 July 2, 2012  State & Local Construction

Determined to ensure that taxpayers get the best construction at the best price, Michigan’s elected leaders have again enacted legislation (Public Act 238) that will ensure government neutrality with regard to project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayer-funded construction in the Great Lakes state. Although Michigan adopted a similar bill in 2011, a federal district court […]

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First Project under Prince George’s County’s New Pro-PLA Policy a Disaster

0 June 27, 2012  State & Local Construction

Prince George’s County’s first attempt to implement a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) mandate under a November 15, 2011, policy (read the Prince George’s County press release on the policy here) is poised to be a costly disaster for county residents. Bids have been submitted for a fire station construction project in Brandywine, Md., […]

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Santa Fe City Council Delays Implementation of Discriminatory CWA/PLA Mandate

0 June 19, 2012  State & Local Construction

Last week, the Santa Fe City Council delayed the implementation of a wasteful and discriminatory community workforce agreement (CWA) mandate for all city projects costing more than $500,000 after city officials struggled to implement the requirement on a small firehouse renovation and expansion.  They did not have any bidders willing to work under a PLA.  […]

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Santa Fe Struggles to Implement CWA Mandate; Will Likely Delay Requirement’s Effective Date

0 June 13, 2012  State & Local Construction

Readers of this blog remember that earlier this year the Santa Fe City Council adopted a policy that requires the use of community workforce agreements (CWA) – a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) by another name – on all city projects costing more than $500,000. Since this requirement was adopted, the city negotiated […]

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Big Labor Claims Prove Unfounded

0 June 12, 2012  School Construction, State & Local Construction

In the wake of the overwhelming voter support for Proposition A, which bans government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on city projects in San Diego, union boss Lorena Gonzalez has said repeatedly that Big Labor was outspent 7-1 by corporate interests supporting Proposition A. Here is a video of Gonzalez making the claim on a local […]

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Project Labor Agreements: Not What We Need, Not What We Deserve

0 June 7, 2012  Federal Construction, Open Competition Works, School Construction, State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

Today, Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) released a new video explaining the negative impact of union-favoring government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayers and the vast majority of the construction workforce that chooses not to join a labor organization. This video is just one more resource in the fight against wasteful government-mandated PLAs. Supporting facts […]

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San Diego Area Voters Again Say No to PLA Mandates

0 June 7, 2012  State & Local Construction

San Diego area voters again said no to wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) mandates on Tuesday. Proposition A, the City of San Diego ballot initiative that will ban government-mandated PLAs on city funded construction projects, was approved with 58 percent of the vote. The City of San Diego is the eighth most populous city in the U.S. […]

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