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 […]
WSJ Project Labor Agreement Op-Ed: A Wisconsin Lesson for Trump the Builder
The Wall Street Journal editorial and op-ed pages have invested barrels of ink opposing anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). In numerous instances (see pieces at end of blog post) the WSJ editorial board has derided PLA mandates, calling them “crony contracts,” “a rotten deal for taxpayers,” and worse: “PLAs are a form of political bid-rigging that robs […]
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 […]
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 […]
Construction Costs Likely to Rise Due to D.C. Council’s Project Labor Agreement Legislation
Associated Builders and Contractors of Metro Washington issued the following press release today in response to the Council of the District of Columbia’s recent addition of language to Section 14 of the 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 […]
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 […]