President Obama | The Truth About PLAs - Part 2

Illinois: Where Raising Taxes Isn’t Enough

August 14, 2011 – 9:49 am

Illinois taxpayers are having a rough go of it lately. While leaders in many states have reshaped their state governments to use public funds more efficiently and provide some relief to taxpayers, Illinois lawmakers have decided to go the other way on this issue. Illinois lawmakers went after people’s pocketbooks directly in early 2011, enacting [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blagojevich, Executive Order, Gov. Quinn, Illinois, local legislation, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, State Executive Order, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (1)

Is Union-only the Best Way to “Rebuild the Dream?”

August 10, 2011 – 10:41 am

Michelle Malkin has a new piece exposing disgraced Obama administration green jobs czar Van Jones’ latest attempt to advocate for policies that tilt the scales for construction workers with union cards when competing for federal construction. Here are the highlights with our emphasis added: The problem, posits [Van] Jones, is that his fellow community organizer [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged BCTD, Executive Order 13502, Green For All, Green Jobs, Michelle Malkin, Op-Ed, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, Van Jones | Comments (1)

Beacon Hill Institute Responds to Attacks on Project Labor Agreement Research

July 22, 2011 – 12:01 pm

Dr. David Tuerck, Executive Director of The Beacon Hill Institute (BHI) and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Economics at Suffolk University, asked TheTruthAboutPLAs.com to post the following note and related correspondence to U.S. Congress in response to attacks by Dr. Peter Phillips, economics professor at the University of Utah, on BHI’s research on the impact of government-mandated [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beacon Hill Institute, Dr. Peter Phillips, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Rep. Cummings, Rep. James Lankford, Utah | Comments (0)

BREAKING: MI Gov. Snyder Signs Bill to Ban Government-mandated PLAs

July 19, 2011 – 4:23 pm

Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has signed Michigan S.B. 165, which will prohibit the use of wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, local, university and state assisted construction in Michigan. This will have serious implications in places like Ann Arbor, Detroit, Macomb County and Michigan State University, where past PLA requirements have [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Michigan, Executive Order 13502, Michigan, Michigan State University, PLA Ban, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, State Legislation | Comments (0)

Obama Administration Official Exceeds Authority in Pushing Local Governments to Mandate Project Labor Agreements

July 18, 2011 – 8:53 am

“I encourage you to read this guidance and to make use of project labor agreements whenever possible.” Is this an excerpt from a letter written by a top construction union official promoting anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs)? Believe it or not, it is the concluding inspirational thought in a “Project Labor Agreement [...]

By Kevin Dayton | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, California, Department of Transportation, Executive Order 13502, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transportation Administration, Kevin Dayton, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Public Transportation, Sacramento, The Politics of PLAs | Comments (0)

Breaking: Michigan and Maine Legislatures Pass PLA Bans

June 29, 2011 – 4:15 pm

Today is a huge day for those who think free enterprise and open competition should determine how taxpayer-funded construction contracts are awarded in America. Lawmakers in Maine and Michigan passed bills that ban government-mandated PLAs on state funded construction. Once they are signed into law, they will ensure that taxpayers get the best construction at the [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Michigan, Legislation, Maine, Michigan, PLA Ban, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, President Obama, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (2)

Louisiana Bans Government-Mandated PLAs on State Funded Projects

June 28, 2011 – 9:59 am

The wave continues! With Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signature yesterday of S.B. 76, Louisiana is now the fifth state to ban government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) to some degree in 2011 and the ninth state to do so nationwide. This is a huge development for taxpayers in Louisiana. This bill guarantees that free enterprise – not Big Labor [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, PLA Ban, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Right to Work, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (1)

House to Vote on Critical Amendment Promoting Project Labor Agreements Today. Oppose LaTourette Amendment Striking Section 415 of H.R. 2055.

June 13, 2011 – 7:51 am

Today the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Military Construction (MilCon) and Veterans Affairs (VA) and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2055). Section 415 of H.R. 2055 ensures fair and open competition on federal construction contracts funded by this legislation. Specifically, it will prevent federal agencies from requiring contractors to sign [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Appropriations, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, Federal Legislation, H.R. 2055, House PLA Votes, Legislation, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Rep. Flake, Rep. Guinta, Rep. LaTourette, Section 415, Take Action, US Army Corps of Engineers, Veterans Administration | Comments (3)

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)

Support Scalise Amdt. to H.R. 2017 to Stop Mandated PLAs

June 2, 2011 – 12:20 pm

Today the U.S. House of Representatives is considering the Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2012 (H.R. 2017). Representative Steve Scalise (R-La.) is offering an amendment (#67) to the bill that would restore fair and open competition on federal construction projects funded by this appropriations bill by prohibiting funds from implementing or enforcing President Obama’s pro-project [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, Federal Legislation, House PLA Votes, Legislation, PLAs, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Take Action | Comments (0)