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Biden Stimulus Plan Pushes Costly Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements

0 April 1, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction

On March 31, the Biden administration released the American Jobs Plan, which proposes more than $2 trillion in federal spending over the next eight years to improve the nation’s infrastructure, including investments in transportation, broadband, energy, and drinking water as well as funding for schools and child-care facilities, affordable housing, workforce development and manufacturing. Of […]

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USACE Baltimore District Issues PLA Survey for Baltimore-Washington Corridor Due 5.9.21

0 May 4, 2021  Federal Construction

Dear Friend, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Baltimore District has issued a survey soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) for large scale construction projects (greater than $25M) within the Baltimore-Washington corridor. These projects may consist of new construction as well as renovation, repairs, […]

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USACE Los Angeles District Issues PLA Survey for Vandenburg AFB Due 5.12.21

0 April 20, 2021  Federal Construction

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Los Angeles District has issued a survey soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) for a future procurement for the Design and Construction of a 24,000 SF single story Re-entry Vehicle Maintenance facility at North Base, Vandenberg AFB. ABC […]

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Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Exacerbate Construction Industry’s Skilled Labor Shortage

1 March 30, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

The construction industry needs to hire an additional 430,000 craft professionals in 2021, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released March 23 by Associated Builders and Contractors. Yet federal, state and local lawmakers continue to push anti-competitive and costly policies promoting controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects, […]

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Do Project Labor Agreements Stop Strikes on Construction Jobsites?

0 March 29, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

Some construction union lobbyists and bosses market anti-competitive and costly project labor agreements to public and private construction owners as a tool to guarantee labor peace on construction jobsites by prohibiting union-led strikes that can delay a project and increase the cost of construction. PLA advocates know that strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns and other labor unrest authorized […]

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African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey Speaks Out Against Proposed PLA Act Expansion in Joint Statement with ABC New Jersey

1 March 24, 2021  State & Local Construction

In what should come as no surprise, New Jersey’s history of favoring costly and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements over sensible policies favoring fair and open competition has reared its ugly head once again. Pro-PLA lawmakers in the state legislature, including known PLA fanatic Senate President Stephen Sweeney, have shown they continue to value the granting […]

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USACE Baltimore District Issues Project Labor Agreement Surveys for Maryland & Virginia

0 March 21, 2021  Federal Construction

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued two surveys soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of a government-mandated project labor agreement for multiple construction projects in Maryland and Virginia. The USACE Baltimore District is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the potential use of a PLA for large-scale, general […]

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Taxpayer Bailout of Multiemployer Pension Plans and Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements

1 March 17, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction

On March 11, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) into law, including a controversial provision providing a Congressional Budget Office-estimated $86 billion taxpayer bailout of struggling multiemployer pension plans. The COVID-19 relief bill’s sudden bailout of some MEPPs has been disheartening to some small businesses and firms not affiliated […]

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Op-Ed: Build Back Better U.S. Infrastructure with Fair and Open Competition, Free From Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements

0 March 17, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction, Open Competition Works

The Washington Times published this March 16 op-ed expressing concerns about the expansion of government-mandated project labor agreement policy on taxpayer-funded federal and federally assisted construction projects. Build back better U.S. infrastructure with fair and open competition Taxpayers must hold lawmakers accountable for delivering cost-effective infrastructure projects that will last. Americans are in strong bipartisan […]

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Setting the Record Straight: Do Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements Really Improve Safety Performance?

0 March 16, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction, Open Competition Works, State & Local Construction

Supporters of government-mandated project labor agreements often claim these controversial schemes ensure the safe delivery of construction projects, and therefore, it’s in the public interest for lawmakers to mandate PLAs on construction projects funded by hardworking taxpayers, resulting in reduced competition from local firms, increased construction costs by 12% to 20%, and fewer local construction […]

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