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 […]
Missouri Passes Law Restricting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
Yesterday Gov. Eric Greitens (R-Mo.) signed legislation into law that will promote fair and open competition on contracts for construction services funded by Missouri taxpayers. SB 182, the Fairness in Public Construction Act, ensures controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) cannot be mandated by the government on state, state-assisted and local construction projects, guaranteeing that almost three […]
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 […]