Maryland Cozies Up to Project Labor Agreement Schemes
“Montgomery County resurfaced hundreds of miles of roads using stimulus dollars,” Manno said. “It was sold to us as a good deal for the money, but just about every one of those roads is criss-crossed with crack sealer. That’s not a good value for our money.”
Manno, who plans to keep introducing PLA legislation, said he’ll be patient in courting political support for the issue.
“I think, because it’s a new issue in Maryland, it’s going to take a few years to get this dialogue going,” he said. “If it turns out that PLAs are not a good value for the taxpayers, then we shouldn’t do them, but we’re looking at that right now.”
Champe C. McCulloch, president of the Maryland chapter of Associated General Contractors, said his group opposes PLAs as “inappropriate interference in the relation of employers and their employees,” but he added he hasn’t seen strong evidence that state officials are prepared to get behind PLAs.
“We’re not concerned in the sense that we’re not aware of anything that is imminent,” he said. “I guess anything’s possible.”