Construction unions market project labor agreements (PLAs) to public and private construction owners as a tool to guarantee labor peace on construction projects. But recent examples of strikes on PLA projects in NYC and other areas across the U.S. call into question the value of these anti-competitive schemes designed steer contracts to union contractors and union members. MYTH: [...]
By Ben Brubeck
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Boston Herald, Cement and Concrete Workers of New York, Crain's New York Business, featured, Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition), Indiana, Ironworkers, Joseph Hunt, Labor Unrest, Laborers International Union of North America, Laborers Union, Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineer, Los Angeles, Maury Baskin, New York, New York Building and Construction Trades Council, PLA Basics, PLA Myth, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, Project Labor Agreements, Regional Plan Association, Strikes, Wall Street Journal
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Government officials often argue that the increased costs and discriminatory and anti-competitive nature of union-favoring government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are “bitter pills worth swallowing” for Big Labor’s promise not to strike, picket and engage in other forms of labor unrest on jobsites that could impact the on-time, on-budget delivery of a construction project. That flawed logic makes [...]
By Ben Brubeck
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged Blagojevich, Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council, General Laborers' District Council of Chicago, Gov. Quinn, Illinois, Illinois Tollway, Laborers' District Council of Chicago, Laborers' International Union Local 6, Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineer, PLAs, Project Labor Agreements, Strikes
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February 26, 2010 – 2:01 pm
The Daily Caller published an opinion piece today by Brett McMahon, vice president of Miller & Long, a concrete construction subcontractor, based in Bethesda, Md., and a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors (“State of the unions: Not good,” 2/26/10) that discusses how Big Labor is turning to their political chums to implement policies that [...]
January 28, 2010 – 6:04 pm
A quick note from Utica, NY, where the Utica Board of Education approved a requirement that PLAs be implemented on $187.6 million of upcoming capital construction in the district. Utica’s Observe-Dispatch noted the following as a footnote to an unrelated story: The board approved a project labor agreement setting construction workers’ wages for the $187.6 [...]
January 20, 2010 – 9:25 am
Despite the special interest handouts to Big Labor by politicians supported by construction trades unions at the local, state and federal level, trouble’s brewing in the fragile house of Big Labor. A TruthAboutPLAs.com reader sent me this sensational letter from Terry Nelson, executive secretary treasurer of the Carpenters’ Disctrict Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity. Nelson is outraged that [...]
By Ben Brubeck
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Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged BCTD, Carpenters, Gerald Feldhaus, Jurisdictional Dispute, Labor Unrest, Mark Ayers, PLA Basics, PLA Fact, PLA hypocrisy, PLA Myth, PLAs, Project Labor Agreements, St. Louis, Strikes, Terry Nelson
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November 24, 2009 – 11:19 am
Last Tuesday (11/17) Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann signed a project labor agreement (PLA) for a $5.5 billion rail transit project. (Click here to read the Mayor’s “State of Rail Transit” statement from 10/29 for background on this project, which has been in the planning stages for years.) In an effort to avoid the stigma attached [...]
Construction unions market union-only PLAs as a tool to construction owners to guarantee labor peace on construction projects. Unions know that strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns and other labor unrest can shut down a jobsite and delay the opening of a project, potentially costing construction owners lost revenue. Union negotiators leverage the threat of union-led strikes [...]
Last night collective bargaining agreements between Philadelphia area Carpenters Unions and Laborers Unions and contractors expired, leaving construction project owners and contractors with concerns about union strikes and labor disputes on jobsites covered by expired collective bargaining agreements. According to this short 5/4 Philadelphia Inquirer piece, the Carpenters and Laborers’ District Council have been negotiating [...]
