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 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 […]
Obama’s Pro-Project Labor Agreement Executive Order Promotes Waste on Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. Rescind it.
The media has reported that the White House has compiled a list of about 50 infrastructure spending projects totaling at least $137.5 billion as a first step in following through on President Trump’s campaign promise to renew America’s crumbling highways, airports, dams and bridges. A preliminary list of infrastructure investment priorities provided by the Trump […]
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 2016 (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 to […]
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 […]