Union-only PLAs Harm Local Workers | The Truth About PLAs - Part 2

PLA Mandates, Right-to-Work in Indiana and the Super Bowl

February 3, 2012 – 3:32 pm

It is an exciting week in Indiana and not all of the action is on the football field. While the Giants and the Patriots prepared for their Super Bowl match-up, Indiana’s state government took steps to guarantee Hoosiers the opportunity to work without having to pay dues to a labor union. On Wednesday, Gov. Mitch [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Indiana, Indianapolis, local legislation, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Right to Work, Stadium, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Barack and a Hard Place: President’s Decision to Kill Keystone XL Pipeline Pleases Environmentalists, Riles Unions

January 20, 2012 – 12:26 pm

This week the Obama administration killed Phase 3 and Phase 4 of TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline project (for now), which would have connected Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the existing pipeline to new pipeline that would carry crude oil 1,600 miles from Alberta, Canada, to Gulf Coast refineries. The State Department’s denial of the [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Keystone XL Pipeline, PLAs, PLAs Discriminate, private PLA, Private PLAs, Project Labor Agreements, TransCanada, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Bill to End Union Abuse of Environmental Laws Fails in California Assembly Committee

January 11, 2012 – 5:13 pm

On January 9, 2012, the California State Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee considered Assembly Bill 598, a bill sponsored by ABC of California and introduced by Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) that would give authority to file lawsuits under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) solely to the California Attorney General. The hearing was an opportunity for [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, California, Greenmail, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Labor Department to Mandate Controversial Project Labor Agreement on Manchester Job Corps Center

December 29, 2011 – 4:56 am

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a pre-solicitation on Dec. 22, 2011, for a $20 million to $50 million DOL Job Corps Center in Manchester, New Hampshire, indicating the project will be subject to an anti-competitive and costly project labor agreement (PLA) mandated by the DOL. Bidding is open only to certified small business [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GAO, H.R. 735, Legal Challenge, local, local hire, Manchester, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Union Leader, PLAs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Rep. Bass, Rep. Guinta, S. 119, Sen. Ayotte, Take Action, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Petitions Submitted to City Clerk for Fair and Open Competition Ballot Measure in City of Sacramento

December 28, 2011 – 2:27 pm

On Tuesday, December 27, representatives of the Fair and Open Competition – Sacramento campaign submitted petitions to the Sacramento City Clerk with more than 49,000 signatures of Sacramento voters calling for a vote on a ballot measure to require fair and open competition for construction contracts of the City of Sacramento. The campaign needed to [...]

By Kevin Dayton | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2012 Election, ABC California, Ballot Initiative, California, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, Sacramento, SB 922, The Sacramento News & Review, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Project Labor Agreements Are Evidence of Moral Breakdown

December 5, 2011 – 9:49 am

Rarely mentioned in public policy discussions about Project Labor Agreements are the moral implications of using the government as an agent to prod contractors and their employees into union agreements. Is it right for a government to require contractors to make employee fringe benefit payments to union-managed trust funds and obtain their workers from a [...]

By Kevin Dayton | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, California, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Recall Elections, San Fernando, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, University Construction | Comments (0)

Philly Mayor Opens Door to Waste and Discrimination with Pro-PLA Executive Order

December 1, 2011 – 11:04 am

Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter issued Executive Order 15-11 on Nov. 29, 2011, re-establishing the use of anti-competitive and costly union-favoring government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on city projects costing more than $5 million. According to Philly’s press release, the order does not mandate PLAs on all projects, but it creates a PLA evaluation procedure that opens the door [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order, local legislation, Mayor Nutter, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Convention Center, Philadelphia Inquirer, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Discriminate, Project Labor Agreements, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (1)

On the Money: Sacramento CBS Affiliate Breaks Down the Added Cost of PLAs

November 1, 2011 – 6:01 pm

In their “On the Money” segment, Sacramento’s CBS affiliate exposes what PLA mandates on school construction mean for taxpayers. Government-mandated PLAs have a negative impact on local construction workers and taxpayers. These special interest handouts to Big Labor line the pockets of union bosses at the expense of average Americans. Californians throughout the state have [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, Ballot Initiative, California, Chula Vista, Kevin Dayton, local legislation, Oceanside, PLA Video, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Sacramento, Sacramento City Unified School District, Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District Board of Directors, San Diego, School Construction, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Democratic National Convention Committee Demands Project Labor Agreements; Host City Mayoral Candidate Scott Stone Wants to See the Agreements

October 27, 2011 – 5:22 pm

Regardless of one’s political leanings, it is impossible to deny the economic development opportunities that come to a city when it hosts one of the two major political party conventions every four years. Unfortunately, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has decided to make union favoritism a key criteria for selecting vendors for their 2012 [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Democratic National Convention, Local Election, North Carolina, Project Labor Agreements, Scott Stone, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)

Taxpayers Lose Twice: 54-46 and 52-48

October 3, 2011 – 9:11 am

It’s rare to see elected officials repeal a bad decision. It’s usually easier to let taxpayers pay for the mistake. But taxpayers had a second chance on September 12 when the Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District Board of Directors debated the repeal or amendment of a 2009 resolution requiring construction contractors to sign a Project [...]

By Kevin Dayton | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC California, California, local legislation, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Sacramento, Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District Board of Directors, The Politics of PLAs, Union-only PLAs harm local workers | Comments (0)