Project Labor Agreement Mandate Scheme Rejected by Minnesota School Board
ABC continues to push back against costly and inefficient government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) at the local level. This week, the Farmington School Board in Minnesota voted 4-1 to reject a PLA requirement for its upcoming school construction and repair projects. Last fall the voters of Farmington approved a $45 million referendum for these projects.
ABC of Minnesota/North Dakota’s Director of Government and Public Affairs Adam Hanson testified at the meeting in front of a packed City Hall room to over 150 residents, students, and teachers about why PLAs are not only bad for the construction industry, but also for the community.
Board members voiced strong opposition to the high costs associated with projects using PLAs as well as the burden they place on merit shop contractors and their employees.
Instrumental in the victory were the dozens of emails, letters, and phone calls made by ABC members to the Board in the days leading up to the vote.
ABC will take similar action when Minnesota’s Forest Lake School Board votes on a PLA for their $143 million school projects in early April.