FEATURED
Project Labor Agreements and Big Labor Fail at Local Job Creation
Big Labor bosses and government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) advocates frequently claim that PLAs are the only way to guarantee local hire on construction projects funded by tax dollars. Of course, this is another myth promoted by special interests to convince lawmakers and taxpayers that there is a public benefit to anti-competitive and costly PLA […]
DC Council Saddles More City Construction With Project Labor Agreement Schemes
On May 7, 2024, the D.C. Council approved controversial legislation, the Revised Labor Agreement Cost Threshold Amendment Act of 2024. Bill 25-469 lowers the cost threshold from $75 million to $50 million for the required use of inflationary and anti-competitive project labor agreements on construction contracts procured by the District of Columbia. D.C. Council Chairman […]
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro Pushes Project Labor Agreement Schemes on Taxpayer-Funded Construction Projects
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro issued a March 27 directive encouraging state agencies to require the use of wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects. Effective April 1, 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of General Services will supervise executive agencies’ evaluation of all contract solicitations to identify projects requiring “prompt completion” and “qualified labor” […]
Gov. Green’s New Project Labor Agreement Policy to Harm Hawaii’s Construction Workers and Businesses
Pursuant to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green’s (D) Administrative Directive (AD) 24-01, all contractors accepting awards for Hawaii executive agency construction procurements exceeding $1.5 million in cost to the state must execute an agreement to be bound by a standardized project labor agreement of general application throughout the state. Effective February 16, 2024, AD-24-01 provides for […]
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s Project Labor Agreement Executive Order Will Hurt Maryland’s Construction Workforce and Firms
On Nov. 17, 2023, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued an executive order that requires the consideration of union-favoring project labor agreements on construction contracts procured by state agencies where the state’s financial commitment is $20 million or greater. The EO also includes new community benefit agreements and government-registered apprenticeship policies in addition to troubling pro-PLA language. Maryland construction industry […]
Delaware Law Dabbles With Project Labor Agreement Schemes Harmful to Local Construction Industry
Delaware Governor John Carney signed into law S.B. 35, an appropriations bill in part authorizing Delaware’s office of management and budget and transportation department to require “community workforce agreements” (a project labor agreement euphemism) pursuant to procurement pilot programs governing a maximum of six projects, subject to requirements for annual reporting on various project delivery […]
Virginia Delays Enactment of Prevailing Wage and PLA Mandate Laws Until May 2021
During its annual reconvene/veto session April 22, the Virginia General Assembly agreed with Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and delayed the effective date of two laws permitting prevailing wage and project labor agreement requirements on taxpayer-funded public works projects. The General Assembly originally sent these bills, passed via party line votes, to the desk of Gov. […]
ABC Delaware Fighting Costly Pro-Project Labor Agreement Legislation
The merit shop is under attack in The First State. ABC Delaware is engaged in a fight to defeat House Bill 283, which requires government agencies to “directly negotiate in good faith a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations engaged in the construction industry; or condition the award of a contract to […]
Why ABC New Jersey Chapter is Suing Jersey City
Earlier this month, the New Jersey Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) filed a complaint in federal court against Jersey City, N.J., in response to its 2012 ordinance requiring developers and contractors to execute union-favoring project labor agreements (PLAs) on certain tax-abated projects in Jersey City. This ordinance amended existing pro-PLA city code that […]
Project Labor Agreement Fails On Tappan Zee Bridge Construction; Jobs Outsourced to Robots
The $3.9 billion project to replace New York’s Tappan Zee Bridge is being built by union labor and robots. The $3.1 billion construction contract is subject to a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) pushed by Albany’s pro-union lawmakers and New York Gov. Cuomo (D) because it will result in a huge windfall of political contributions to the Empire […]
No Surprise: Big Labor Fails to Meet Meriden PLA Hiring Goals
Construction unions in Meriden, Conn. are failing to meet local, minority and veteran hiring goals on two high profile school projects – a key promise made by union leaders during their effort to secure wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) requirements on approximately $220 million worth of contracts to renovate two local high schools. […]