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February 2021 Update: ABC’s Fight Against Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
Among the many anticipated policy changes that will impact the construction industry following the November 2020 elections, the Biden administration and the 117th Congress are likely to attempt to enhance and expand the federal government’s current controversial policy of promoting costly government-mandated project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects. Doing so would create a rigged […]
Biden and Treasury Promote Project Labor Agreement Schemes on Taxpayer-funded Construction Projects in American Rescue Plan
The Biden administration and U.S. Department of the Treasury have taken another unfortunate step promoting anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects. The latest effort to steer public works construction projects to unionized contractors and union labor at the expense of taxpayers and fair and open competition is sure to create […]
ABC, Coalition Alarmed by Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements in Biden Administration’s American Jobs Plan
On May 5, ABC and a coalition of 16 industry and employer groups sent a letter to President Joe Biden raising concerns about the administration’s direct expansion and support of legislative policies encouraging or requiring controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted construction projects. The Biden administration’s March 31 release of the American Jobs Plan, an outline of $2.25 trillion worth of government […]
USACE Baltimore District Issues PLA Survey for Baltimore-Washington Corridor Due 5.9.21
Dear Friend, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Baltimore District has issued a survey soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) for large scale construction projects (greater than $25M) within the Baltimore-Washington corridor. These projects may consist of new construction as well as renovation, repairs, […]
USACE Los Angeles District Issues PLA Survey for Vandenburg AFB Due 5.12.21
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Los Angeles District has issued a survey soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) for a future procurement for the Design and Construction of a 24,000 SF single story Re-entry Vehicle Maintenance facility at North Base, Vandenberg AFB. ABC […]
Biden Stimulus Plan Pushes Costly Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
On March 31, the Biden administration released the American Jobs Plan, which proposes more than $2 trillion in federal spending over the next eight years to improve the nation’s infrastructure, including investments in transportation, broadband, energy, and drinking water as well as funding for schools and child-care facilities, affordable housing, workforce development and manufacturing. Of […]
Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Exacerbate Construction Industry’s Skilled Labor Shortage
The construction industry needs to hire an additional 430,000 craft professionals in 2021, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released March 23 by Associated Builders and Contractors. Yet federal, state and local lawmakers continue to push anti-competitive and costly policies promoting controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on taxpayer-funded construction projects, […]
Do Project Labor Agreements Stop Strikes on Construction Jobsites?
Some construction union lobbyists and bosses market anti-competitive and costly project labor agreements to public and private construction owners as a tool to guarantee labor peace on construction jobsites by prohibiting union-led strikes that can delay a project and increase the cost of construction. PLA advocates know that strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns and other labor unrest authorized […]
USACE Baltimore District Issues Project Labor Agreement Surveys for Maryland & Virginia
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued two surveys soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of a government-mandated project labor agreement for multiple construction projects in Maryland and Virginia. The USACE Baltimore District is soliciting comments from the construction community addressing the potential use of a PLA for large-scale, general […]
Taxpayer Bailout of Multiemployer Pension Plans and Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements
On March 11, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) into law, including a controversial provision providing a Congressional Budget Office-estimated $86 billion taxpayer bailout of struggling multiemployer pension plans. The COVID-19 relief bill’s sudden bailout of some MEPPs has been disheartening to some small businesses and firms not affiliated […]
Op-Ed: Build Back Better U.S. Infrastructure with Fair and Open Competition, Free From Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
The Washington Times published this March 16 op-ed expressing concerns about the expansion of government-mandated project labor agreement policy on taxpayer-funded federal and federally assisted construction projects. Build back better U.S. infrastructure with fair and open competition Taxpayers must hold lawmakers accountable for delivering cost-effective infrastructure projects that will last. Americans are in strong bipartisan […]