U.S. District Court Knocks Down Jersey City Project Labor Agreement Ordinance
In June, the U. S. District Court for the District of New Jersey found that a 2007 Jersey City ordinance requiring project labor agreements (PLAs) on private projects receiving tax abatements is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The case involved a Jersey City ordinance encouraging private developers to invest in the city by […]
Florida Restricts Local Government Mandates on Public Construction
On June 14, Gov. Rick Scott (R-Florida) signed HB 599 into law, which encourages open competition on contracts for construction services provided to local governments and funded by Florida taxpayers. The law prohibits local governments from imposing certain restrictive and discriminatory pre-bid mandates on local construction projects when a project is receiving 50 percent or […]
Missouri Passes Law Restricting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
Yesterday Gov. Eric Greitens (R-Mo.) signed legislation into law that will promote fair and open competition on contracts for construction services funded by Missouri taxpayers. SB 182, the Fairness in Public Construction Act, ensures controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) cannot be mandated by the government on state, state-assisted and local construction projects, guaranteeing that almost three […]
Project Labor Agreements Raise Costs on Ohio Schools 13 Percent, Study Finds
A study by the Beacon Hill Institute has shown that when mandated by the government on taxpayer-funded construction projects, project labor agreements (PLAs) increase the costs of construction 13.12 percent. The study examined 88 schools across Ohio that were built since 2000 and found government-mandated PLAs cost $23.12 per square foot more (13.12 percent) than projects built […]
A Win For Taxpayers and Free Enterprise: Wisconsin Is 23rd State to Pass Law Restricting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
On April 17, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed SB 3 into law, which promotes fair and open competition on contracts for construction services funded by Wisconsin taxpayers. The “Project Labor Agreement Neutrality Bill” now known as Act 10 prohibits the government from mandating controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, state-assisted and local construction projects […]
Iowa Law Restricts Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements, Protects Hawkeye State Construction Industry
On April 13, Gov. Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) signed SF 438 into law, which promotes fair and open competition on contracts for construction services funded by Iowa taxpayers. The measure will ensure that the government cannot mandate controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, state-assisted and local construction projects, guaranteeing that the 85 percent of Iowa’s […]
House Committee Passes Fair and Open Competition Act Targeting Federal Project Labor Agreement Mandates
This week the merit shop contracting community hit an important legislative milestone in its campaign for fair and open competition in government contracting. ABC issued a press release Tuesday applauding the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for favorably reporting out of committee the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1552), introduced in the 115th Congress by […]
Coalition to House: Champion Bill Reforming Unfair Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Schemes
A diverse coalition of construction industry associations and employer groups sent a letter to the United States House of Representatives March 16 opposing government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) and anti-competitive PLA preferences used by federal agencies as a result of President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 and related regulations. The letter asks House members to cosponsor the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1552), […]
Coalition to Senate: Cosponsor Bill Restricting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
A diverse coalition of construction industry associations and employer groups sent a letter to the United States Senate March 14 opposing government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) and anti-competitive PLA preferences used by federal agencies as a result of President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 and related regulations. The letter asks Senators to cosponsor the Fair and Open Competition Act (S. 622), introduced in the 115thCongress […]
ABC Backs Bill Targeting Costly Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Schemes
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) issued a press release in support of Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-Ariz.) Fair and Open Competition Act (FOCA) (S. 622). As described in the press release below and in Senator Flake’s press release, S. 622 will prohibit federal agencies and recipients of federal funding from mandating project labor agreements (PLAs) or using PLA preferences during […]