Bureau of Labor Statistics: Construction Union Membership Increased Slightly
According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual union membership report released Jan. 26, 2017, the 2016 union membership rate (i.e., the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions) increased slightly from 13.2 percent to 13.9 percent of the U.S. private construction workforce. Construction unions added 99,000 members in a year-over-year comparison, and the construction […]
2017 Update: ABC’s Fight Against Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
In 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to mandate project labor agreements (PLAs) on large-scale federal construction projects exceeding $25 million in total cost on a case-by-case basis. Many merit shop advocates of fair and open competition predicted the order would steer billions of dollars’ worth of federal construction contracts to […]
Courts Rule in Favor of #NoPLA Laws Promoting Fair and Open Competition
Proponents of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) have unsuccessfully challenged federal and state laws and executive orders that prevent lawmakers and agencies from imposing anti-competitive and costly union-favoring PLA requirements on taxpayer-funded construction projects. When mandated by government entities, PLAs have a dismal track record of increasing costs, reducing competition, and discriminating against experienced construction companies […]
Federal Appeals Court Finds NLRA Could Preempt Jersey City Project Labor Agreement Ordinance
A federal appeals court has reversed the New Jersey District Court’s decision to uphold a Jersey City project labor agreement (PLA) ordinance that forced developers to enter into a PLA with construction trade unions as a condition of recieving tax abatements on certain projects. The decision paves the way to repeal Jersey City’s discriminatory and costly pro-PLA […]
Take Action: D.C. Council’s Pro-Project Labor Agreement Legislation Threatens Fair and Open Competition for DC Construction Contracts
District of Columbia council members June 21 added language to Section 14 of The Procurement Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Amendment Act of 2015 (Bill 21-334) mandating the use of union-favoring project labor agreements (PLAs) on District of Columbia-funded construction contracts exceeding $50 million. Update 7/6/16: The ABC Metro Washington Chapter issued this press release in reaction […]
ABC Virginia President’s Letter Blasts Labor Boss’ Deceptive Pro-Project Labor Agreement Op-Ed
On May 28, 2016, The Virginia Pilot published a strong #NoPLAs letter to the editor by ABC Virginia President Patrick J. Dean in response to a pro-project labor agreement (PLA) op-ed submitted by Dennis Martire, vice president and Mid-Atlantic regional manager of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA): Letter: Benefits agreements hurt business, taxpayers May […]
The West Coast’s Big Dig Boondoggle Woes Continue: Seattle’s Tunnel PLA Job Dangerous For Workers
Bad news continues to plague Washington state’s Highway 99 tunnel mega-project (PDF) underneath Seattle’s downtown waterfront, contradicting a number of key points lawmakers and construction union lobbyists use to sell government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) to owners, taxpayers and the media. According to the AP, the Seattle Tunnel’s injury claims have totaled more than $2.5 […]
ABC Delaware Fighting Costly Pro-Project Labor Agreement Legislation
The merit shop is under attack in The First State. ABC Delaware is engaged in a fight to defeat House Bill 283, which requires government agencies to “directly negotiate in good faith a project labor agreement with one or more labor organizations engaged in the construction industry; or condition the award of a contract to […]
Unsafe Union Labor Caught Boozing Before Working on NYC Project Labor Agreement Jobsite
ABC 7 NY’s investigative reporting caught union construction workers drinking heavily before reporting for duty at a NYC jobsite covered by a project labor agreement (PLA). This is not the first time union workers on a PLA jobsite have been caught boozing in NYC. In 2012, investigative reporters caught union labor hitting the bars hard at lunch before […]
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Passes The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act
Today 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 today applauding the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for passing the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (H.R. 1671), introduced by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.). With nearly 100 cosponsors and […]