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 City sheds light on unsung victims of these controversial, anti-competitive and costly special interest handouts that deny hardworking taxpayers the accountability they deserve from government contracts: Union contractors and some construction trade union members.
Nevada Court Declares Project Labor Agreement to be Favoritism: Strikes Down Mandate for Contractors to Sign with Unions to Build $17 Million Las Vegas Prison
On August 15, State of Nevada District Court Judge Jerry Wiese ruled that a project labor agreement (PLA) imposed on contractors by the elected Clark County Board of Commissioners for a $17 million prison project in Las Vegas violated the state’s competitive bidding laws. The Nevada Supreme Court has asked Judge Wiese to evaluate the […]
Los Angeles Times Exposes How Unions Misuse Environmental Laws to Block Solar Projects and Extract Project Labor Agreements
An article in today’s Los Angeles Times (“Labor Coalition’s Tactics on Renewable Energy Projects Are Criticized” February 5, 2011) exposes how a union front group called California Unions for Reliable Energy (CURE) has exploited environmental laws to block permits for solar thermal power plants until the developers sign project labor agreements. Objecting to this environmental […]
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 accurate. This case stems from former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell administration’s effort to force PLA requirements on […]
ABC Wins Another Challenge Against Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements on Federal Construction Projects
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 […]
Baltimore City Solicitor Opposes Baltimore Project Labor Agreement Ordinance
“For the reasons listed above, the Law Department does not approve the bill for form and legal sufficiency.” That is the legal opinion of Ashley H. Brown, Baltimore’s Assistant Attorney Solicitor, on controversial legislation (Bill No. 10-0455) before the Baltimore City Council that would require the city to include government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) in all contracts for construction projects with a total […]
Missouri Unions Don’t Want State Officials To Enforce The Law
A group of building and construction trade unions has filed a motion to intervene in the ABC Heart of America Chapter’s lawsuit to force Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster to enforce the 2007 “Fairness in Public Construction Act,” which prohibits government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on public projects. Here’s a glimpse […]
San Diego Proposition S News: Contractor Group Files Lawsuit Against Wasteful and Discriminatory Government-Mandated PLA on Proposition S Projects AND Unified School District Board Forced to Approve Second PLA
Associated General Contractors (AGC) – San Diego filed a lawsuit July 30 against the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). The suit claims that provisions in the project stabilization agreement (a PLA by another name) approved by the School Board prevent non-union apprentices from working on projects funded by the $2.1 billion voter-approved Proposition S bond and amount to discrimination. In […]
Understanding PLAs in Right to Work States
There is great confusion in the construction community about the legality of PLAs in right to work states. The media, public, elected officials and construction professionals would benefit from understanding the small but significant difference between PLAs in right to work states and PLAs in non-right to work states.PLAs can occur in right to work […]
Executive Order No. 13502 Does Not Require Any State or Local Government To Impose Union-Only Project Labor Agreements On Construction Projects Built With Federal Assistance
This post addresses the question of whether President Obama’s Executive Order No 13502 (Feb. 6, 2009) requires state or local governments to impose union-only project labor agreements (PLAs) on construction projects built with federal assistance. As further explained below, the Executive Order is quite clear on this point: Nothing in the Executive Order requires any […]