The District of Columbia Council Is Wasting Taxpayer Money on Project Labor Agreement Schemes
District of Columbia voters and businesses monitoring revenue shortfalls and proposed tax hikes in the D.C. Council’s FY2021 budget, passed July 23 and awaiting future action from Mayor Bowser, should be concerned about $50 million to $100 million in waste and increased costs resulting from a scheme by some D.C. Council members and construction trade […]
Virginia Delays Enactment of Prevailing Wage and PLA Mandate Laws Until May 2021
During its annual reconvene/veto session April 22, the Virginia General Assembly agreed with Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and delayed the effective date of two laws permitting prevailing wage and project labor agreement requirements on taxpayer-funded public works projects. The General Assembly originally sent these bills, passed via party line votes, to the desk of Gov. […]
Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Construction Industry Workforce Development Efforts
ABC members overwhelmingly say that government-mandated project labor agreements harm their company hiring and workforce development practices and ability to complete work safely, on time and on budget. Almost 97% of survey respondents said the PLA provisions that would require their firm to hire most or all of their company’s apprentices from union-only apprenticeship programs […]
Virginia General Assembly Sends Project Labor Agreement and Prevailing Wage Legislation to Gov. Northam – Take Action
Virginia’s General Assembly has sent legislation to Gov. Ralph Northam’s desk that will needlessly increase the cost of taxpayer-funded public works construction projects, discourage competition from Virginia’s construction workforce and businesses. In addition, the legislation will steer contracts to out-of-state workers and firms instead of creating opportunities for certified small, women and minority contractors to […]
BLS: Just 12.6% of U.S. Construction Industry is Unionized
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual union members summary report published Jan. 22, 2020, union membership in the construction industry increased slightly in 2019. However, just 12.6% of wage and salary workers were members of unions in the U.S. private construction industry, a decrease from 12.8% in 2018. According to BLS data, […]
PLA Mandate Legislation Introduced in Baltimore City Council
As reported last month in the Baltimore Sun (“Baltimore Council bill would require union agreements before contractors win major city projects,” 1/27/20), a bill introduced in the Baltimore City Council by Councilmember Shannon Sneed and Council President Brandon Scott would make sweeping changes to the City of Baltimore’s procurement laws. The proposed ordinance, File 20-0488, […]
Study: Project Labor Agreement Mandates Inflate the Cost of Connecticut School Construction by 19.8%
Study: Connecticut schools built under controversial government-mandated project labor agreements cost 19.8% more than schools that were bid and constructed through fair and open competition, free from PLA requirements.
Virginia Considers Legislation Requiring Project Labor Agreements and Prevailing Wage on Public Works Construction
Legislation in Virginia’s General Assembly will lead to tax hikes or fewer public works construction projects procured by the Commonwealth’s state and local governments. In addition, it will needlessly increase construction costs and steer contracts to out-of-state unionized businesses and unionized workers at the expense of Virginia’s construction industry.
Study: Project Labor Agreement Mandates Inflate Cost of New Jersey School Construction by 16.25%
A study released in August by the Beacon Hill Institute found that New Jersey schools built under controversial government-mandated project labor agreements cost 16.25% more than schools that were bid and constructed through fair and open competition, free from PLA requirements. The study, which looked at 107 schools built in New Jersey since 2002, found that those built under […]
Lawsuit Against Westmoreland County Project Labor Agreement Tests Boundaries of SCOTUS Janus Decision
The Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Pennsylvania’s September 23 lawsuit argues that Westmoreland County’s project labor agreement with the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council runs afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Janus vs. AFSCME.