Project Labor Agreements on California School Construction Raise Costs up to 15 Percent, Study Says
According to a new study released by the National University System Institute for Policy Research (NUSIPR), California school construction projects built using project labor agreements (PLAs) experienced increased costs of 13 percent to 15 percent, or $28.90 to $32.49 per square foot, compared to projects that did not use a PLA. Measuring the Cost of […]
San Diego Unified School District PLA Fails to Meet Local Hiring Goals
Longtime readers of this blog remember that a PLA requirement was adopted by the San Diego Unified School District for all projects funded by Proposition S, a $2.1 billion voter-approved school construction bond. We have already seen this PLA requirement lead to expensive cost increases. Media reports now find that projects covered by the PLA […]
Indiana House Democrats Blocking Open Competition for Public Construction
While much of the national media attention has focused on Wisconsin, lawmakers in Indiana have also fled across state lines to keep the newly elected majority in the state House of Representatives from having the opportunity to conduct the people’s business. In Indiana, the Democrats initially left town over proposed Right-to-Work legislation, which would have […]
Ohio Leaders Refuse to Build Four Schools for the Price of Five
This week, Ohio leaders stood up and said NO to taxpayer funded handouts to Big Labor. The Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) voted Thursday to approve a policy that prohibits the use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on school construction projects financed by the OSFC. This reverses a policy adopted by former Gov. Ted Strickland’s […]
Hey Ohio, Open Competition Could be on the Way!
The march against wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) has moved to the Ohio General Assembly, where Rep. Ron Young has introduced the latest measure to prohibit the use of these Big Labor handouts on taxpayer funded work. Here is the text from Rep. Young’s press release, issued February 11: YOUNG SPONSORS LEGISLATION TO […]
Solving Euclid’s Project Labor Agreement Problem
Corruption, Big Labor’s powerful special interest lobby, a change in Ohio’s political leadership, and poorly researched and half-baked public policy are all variables in a complicated equation the people of Euclid, Ohio, are desperate to solve. In November 2009, Euclid City School District voters barely passed Issue #105 – a $40.3 million bond measure (see election results […]
Editorial: City Council Should be in No Hurry to Enact Dubious Labor Measure
Big Labor’s effort to impose a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) mandate in Lorain, OH hit a roadblock this week when the City Council’s Streets and Sidewalks Committee refused to send the proposal to the full council on Monday, Dec. 6. This was a big win for local taxpayers, but it might only […]
Detroit News Editorial Calls for Fair Bids
In an outstanding editorial published today (“Editorial: Fair Bids,” 12/7/10), the Detroit News calls on Michigan’s leaders to eliminate government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, local and university projects in the state. Here are the highlights: The contractors association says that some state universities, community colleges and local units of government are requiring their […]
More Evidence That Project Labor Agreements Reduce Competition and Increase Costs
Big Labor Bosses and their hand-picked political puppets claim that anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are in the public’s best interest. In reality, PLAs are crony contracting schemes implemented by corrupt elected officials that funnel lucrative public works contracts to union contractors and their union employees in exchange for political support. Numerous […]
Divisive Vote Near Los Angeles for Project Labor Agreement: Three School Board Members Defy Community and Reward Union Campaign Contributors
Big Labor politics in Los Angeles was on brazen display at the San Gabriel Unified School District in the City of San Gabriel (ten miles east of downtown Los Angeles) on the evening of Wednesday, November 10. In front of more than 100 irate local residents who packed the meeting room, the elected Governing Board […]