The Truth About Project Labor Agreements

Iowa gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad has spoke out this week against against Gov. Chet Culver’s Executive Order 22 and his efforts to encourage state agencies to consider and implement wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) on state projects.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette asked the former governor about the PLA issue on the campaign trail.  Here is an excerpt from their coverage (“Branstad Pledges to Undo Two Executive Orders,” 7/12):

Former Gov. Terry Branstad on Monday pledged that, if he is elected to a fifth term as governor in November, he would reverse two executive orders dealing with voting rights for felons and project labor agreements issued by Democrats who followed him to Terrace Hill.

[snip]

Branstad also promised to reverse an executive order signed earlier this year by current Gov. Chet Culver that directed state agencies to consider using project labor agreements on construction projects exceeding $25 million, calling the move a “back-door” attempt to enact prevailing-wage provisions that stalled in the legislative process.

Branstad made his comments during stops in three western Iowa towns during a “Truth in Budgeting” tour he and State Auditor David Vaudt launched on Monday.

“We’re heading in the wrong direction at a very fast pace,” Vaudt told nearly 30 people invited to a former railroad depot for the Republican state budget briefing. He warned the state budget is “approaching a budget cliff” in fiscal 2012 due spending levels that exceed state revenues and too much reliance on one-time money for ongoing expenses that can only be halted by the “reality-based leadership” Branstad is offering.

Here at TheTruthAboutPLAs.com, we commend former Governor Brandstad for standing up for the taxpayers of Iowa.

Read our earlier posts for more information on Gov. Culver’s attempts to funnel construction work to his political allies and the public record of poor performance that PLAs have in Iowa.