BLS: Just 12.8 Percent of U.S. Construction Industry Is Unionized
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics annual Union Members Summary report published January 18, 2019, union membership in the construction industry decreased in 2018. Just 12.8 percent of wage and salary workers were members of unions in the U.S. private construction industry. That’s a decrease from 14 percent in 2017. According to BLS, 1.048 million out of 8.169 million (12.8 percent) […]
Pennsylvania Court Strikes Down PLA Mandate
ABC members Allan Myers and J.D. Eckman Inc. recently won a court case challenging the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s project labor agreement mandate for the Markley Street reconstruction project in Montgomery County. Tried in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, the court ruled on Jan. 11 that PennDOT’s PLA mandate violated the state’s competitive bidding laws and discriminated against nonunion […]
Minnesota School District Adopts Discriminatory Union-only PLA
In a disappointing vote on Tuesday night, the Roseville School Board in Minnesota voted 4-2 to adopt a discriminatory union-only project labor agreement that will drive up the costs of district construction for years to come, limit competition, and discriminate against local workers – all while paying off special interest union bosses in the process. […]
New York Post Editorial Exposes Mayor’s Project Labor Agreement Scam Sleight of Hand
The New York Post editorial board probably won’t be getting a Christmas card from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) or NYC construction union bosses any time soon after they ran this editorial calling out the mayor for not substantiating promised savings from sweetheart deals on city construction projects with construction labor unions called […]
24 States Ensure Fair and Open Competition, Restrict Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
On Feb. 6, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to mandate controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) on large-scale federal construction projects—those exceeding $25 million in total value—on a case-by-case basis, and permits states and localities to mandate PLAs on federally assisted projects. Since President Obama issued Executive Order 13502, 23 […]
New York Post Op-Ed Zings NY Gov. Cuomo for Shameless Pay-to-PLA Pledge
The New York Post published an op-ed by ABC Empire State Chapter President Brian Sampson (“How union construction privileges bleed taxpayers dry,” 6/8), blasting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) for his outrageous promise to union bosses and members at the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York’s May 8th rally as part of […]
Pennsylvania Legislation Would Ensure Fair and Open Competition in Contracting
On Jan. 24, members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives State Government Committee listened to testimony on HB 1849, known as the Open Contracting Act, which would prohibit the use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayer-funded construction projects. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Stephen Bloom. PLAs are specifically written and designed to […]
A Total of 24 States Restrict Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
On Feb. 6, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to mandate controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) on large-scale federal construction projects—those exceeding $25 million in total value—on a case-by-case basis, and permits states and localities to mandate PLAs on federally assisted projects. Since President Obama issued Executive Order 13502, 23 […]
U.S. District Court Knocks Down Jersey City Project Labor Agreement Ordinance
In June, the U. S. District Court for the District of New Jersey found that a 2007 Jersey City ordinance requiring project labor agreements (PLAs) on private projects receiving tax abatements is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The case involved a Jersey City ordinance encouraging private developers to invest in the city by […]
Florida Restricts Local Government Mandates on Public Construction
On June 14, Gov. Rick Scott (R-Florida) signed HB 599 into law, which encourages open competition on contracts for construction services provided to local governments and funded by Florida taxpayers. The law prohibits local governments from imposing certain restrictive and discriminatory pre-bid mandates on local construction projects when a project is receiving 50 percent or […]