Washington Examiner | The Truth About PLAs

MWAA Officials Overlook Cause of Potential Phase 2 Project Labor Agreement Cost Increases

July 6, 2011 – 11:36 am

Recent correspondence from Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) officials indicate that despite months of education and discussion with local stakeholders and the business community, MWAA does not fully understand the potential negative economic impact of its April 6 resolution mandating a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) that contractors are required to agree to in order [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Metro Washington, ABC Virginia, Beacon Hill Institute, Charles Snelling, Davis-Bacon, Dennis Martire, Dulles Corridor Committee, Dulles Transit Partners, Editorial, Letter to the Editor, Lynn Hampton, Metro Washington Airport Authority, Michael Curto, MWAA, Patton Boggs, PLAs, Project Labor Agreements, Rep. Harris, Silver Line, VA, Virginia, Washington Examiner, Washington Post | Comments (0)

Phase 2 Silver Line Dispute Grabs Headlines; Opposition to Project Labor Agreement Grows

June 29, 2011 – 11:42 am

Opposition continues to mount against the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) April 6 resolution mandating a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) that contractors are required to agree to in order to win construction contracts on the $3.5 billion Phase 2 Dulles Metro Rail Silver Line project in Northern Virginia. (See previous blog posts from TheTruthAboutPLAs.com [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Virginia, Barbara Comstock, Dennis Martire, Editorial, Fairfax County, Fairfax Times, GAO, Herndon Mayor Steve DeBenedittis, Jack Potter, Jim Lemunyon, Ken Cuccinelli, LIUNA, Loudoun County, Metro Washington Airport Authority, MWAA, Open Competition, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Ray LaHood, Silver Line, The Politics of PLAs, Thomas Greason, Tim Hugo, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC, Washington Examiner, Washington Post, Washington Times, WMAL 630, Women and Construction Owners and Executives | Comments (2)

Louisiana Legislation Would Ban Government-Mandated PLAs

May 26, 2011 – 11:58 am

The drive to prohibit wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) in Louisiana got some national media attention this week. Here are the highlights from the May 25 Washington Examiner piece, “Project Labor Agreements Could be Used to Undermine Right to Work Laws and Force Double Payment of Benefits.” “Louisiana’s Right-to-Work Law allows employees within [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Louisiana, PLA Ban, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Right to Work, State Legislation, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, Washington Examiner | Comments (0)

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Opposes Phase 2 Dulles Metro Rail Project Labor Agreement Mandate

May 4, 2011 – 5:17 pm

Opposition continues to grow against the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) April 6 resolution mandating an anti-competitive and costly project labor agreement (PLA) on Phase 2 of the $3.5 billion Dulles Metro Rail project. Numerous stakeholders are concerned that a Phase 2 PLA mandate will: Increase Phase 2 construction costs between $300 million and $450 million Reduce [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Virginia, Dennis Martire, Metro Washington Airport Authority, Michael Curto, MWAA, PLAs, Project Labor Agreements, VA, Virginia, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Examiner, Women and Construction Owners and Executives | Comments (0)

Big Labor Crashes Dulles Metro Rail Press Conference, Stifles Objections to Costly Project Labor Agreement Scheme

April 20, 2011 – 6:43 am

On April, 18 Laborers Union (LIUNA) Local 657 and other members and paid astroturfers guests of the Washington Metropolitan Council, AFL-CIO, bused in disruptive protestors from Washington, D.C., and Maryland to crash a press conference held by U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf concerning $3.5 billion worth of construction for Phase 2 of the Dulles Metro Rail project [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Big Dig, Campaign, Construction Industry Labor Management Trust Fund, Dennis Martire, Dulles Corridor Committee, Dulles Transit Partners, Editorial, Fairfax Times, Labor Union Report, Laborers Employers Cooperation & Education Trust, Laborers International Union of North America, Leesburg Today, LIUNA, Loudoun County, Loudoun Times, Maryland, Metro Washington Airport Authority, MWAA, PLA Video, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Discriminate, Project Labor Agreements, protest, Rep. Wolf, Scott York, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, VA, Virginia, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington DC, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, WilburSmith Associates, Wilson Bridge | Comments (0)

Washington Examiner Local Editorial: Dulles Rail PLA Insults Virginians, Favors Big Labor

April 19, 2011 – 10:03 am

A Washington Examiner editorial raises a number of concerns and focuses on disturbing corruption related to Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority’s (MWAA) April 6 resolution mandating an anti-competitive and costly union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) on Phase 2 construction for the $3.5 billion Dulles Metro Rail project (“Dulles Rail PLA Insults Virginians, Favors Big Labor,” 4/18): Virginia is a [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Dennis Martire, Editorial, Metro Washington Airport Authority, MWAA, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Project Labor Agreements, Union-only PLAs harm local workers, VA, Virginia, Washington Examiner | Comments (0)

ABC Wins Another Challenge Against Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements on Federal Construction Projects

January 6, 2011 – 10:32 am

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 [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged ABC Western Pennsylvania, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GAO, Lafayette Building, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PLA Study, PLAs, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, The Politics of PLAs, Veterans Administration, Washington DC, Washington Examiner | Comments (2)

Editorial: Tis the Season for White House Gifts to Big Labor

December 23, 2010 – 9:56 am

ObamaClause and his GSA elves are busy giving gifts to Big Labor this holiday season. Executive Order 13502: Obama’s Gift to Big Labor. Image by Elaine Natario courtesy of The Boston Globe, “Obama kowtows to labor unions,” 10/07/09. A Washington Examiner editorial is critical of White House gifts to Big Labor called project labor [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Editorial, Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GSA, Lafayette Building, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Washington DC, Washington Examiner | Comments (1)

GSA’s Policy of Big Labor Favoritism Draws Congressional Inquiry

December 18, 2010 – 9:55 am

After recent media reports exposed how the Obama Administration and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) have conspired to steer lucrative federal construction contracts to businesses willing to build federal projects utilizing a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA), members of Congress are starting to ask questions. This week, nineteen GOP members of Congress, including the incoming [...]

By Ben Brubeck | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, GSA, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Lafayette Building, PLAs, PLAs Increase Costs, President Obama, Project Labor Agreements, Washington DC, Washington Examiner | Comments (2)

Money For Nothin’

December 10, 2010 – 6:24 am

Bret Jacobson, a blogger on BigGovernment.com, reminds readers (Our Dire Straits: Money For Nothin’, 12/9/10) of a story reported earlier this week about taxpayer waste on the renovation of the Lafayette Federal Building in downtown Washington D.C. As regular readers remember, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) paid a federal contractor at least $3.3 million as [...]

By Andy Conlin | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council, Big Labor, BigGovernment.com, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Executive Order 13502, Federal Construction, Federal Contracting, Harry Alford, Lafayette Building, National Black Chamber of Commerce, PLAs, PLAs are political payoffs to union leaders, PLAs Cut Competition, PLAs Increase Costs, Veterans Administration, Washington DC, Washington Examiner | Comments (0)