On the Money: Sacramento CBS Affiliate Breaks Down the Added Cost of PLAs
In their “On the Money” segment, Sacramento’s CBS affiliate exposes what PLA mandates on school construction mean for taxpayers. Government-mandated PLAs have a negative impact on local construction workers and taxpayers. These special interest handouts to Big Labor line the pockets of union bosses at the expense of average Americans. Californians throughout the state have […]
Democratic National Convention Committee Demands Project Labor Agreements; Host City Mayoral Candidate Scott Stone Wants to See the Agreements
Regardless of one’s political leanings, it is impossible to deny the economic development opportunities that come to a city when it hosts one of the two major political party conventions every four years. Unfortunately, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has decided to make union favoritism a key criteria for selecting vendors for their 2012 […]
USACE Evaluates Project Labor Agreements on Four Federal Projects in Kentucky
The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) recently issued surveys requesting feedback from the construction industry about the potential use of project labor agreements (PLAs) for four federal construction projects exceeding $25 million in total costs at Ft Campbell, Ky. ABC members and construction professionals are encouraged to respond to the PLA surveys. Tell […]
WSJ Editorial Blasts California SB 922
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has been reporting for weeks about the perils of SB 922 and other California legislation catering to Big Labor’s special interests by promoting anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). After sailing through the California legislature via a deceptive gut and amend legislative vehicle originally about tuberculosis screening, Governor Jerry Brown (D) signed SB 922 […]
California Governor Signs Union-Backed Senate Bill 922, Intended to End Local Project Labor Agreement Bans
California Governor Jerry Brown announced on Sunday, October 2 that he has signed Senate Bill 922. He even included a signing message that declared SB 922 to be “fair” and “democratic.” This is the most dramatic attempt to date by unions and their political cronies to suppress the Fair and Open Competition movement that started […]
Taxpayers Lose Twice: 54-46 and 52-48
It’s rare to see elected officials repeal a bad decision. It’s usually easier to let taxpayers pay for the mistake. But taxpayers had a second chance on September 12 when the Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District Board of Directors debated the repeal or amendment of a 2009 resolution requiring construction contractors to sign a Project […]
Bill at Governor Brown’s Desk is Basis for Argument to Remove Project Labor Agreement Ban from Proposed Escondido Charter
As of September 28, Governor Jerry Brown has not publicly announced his decision on Senate Bill 922, a hastily gutted and amended union-backed bill that deprives California charter cities of state funding for construction projects if they have Fair and Open Competition policies that prohibit city mandates for contractors to sign Project Labor Agreements with […]
A Genuine California Union Conspiracy: Senate Bill 790 and the California Building Trades Council’s Ratepayer-Funded Political Slush Fund
In California, a mini-public relations campaign is underway to defend Senate Bill 790, a bill now at Governor Jerry Brown’s desk dealing with “community choice aggregation” for electric consumers. Defenders of the bill are trying to downplay an obscure but controversial unrelated provision attached to the end of the bill that allows public utilities to […]
Fair and Open Competition Measure Easily Qualifies for Ballot in City of San Diego
The San Diego City Clerk announced late this afternoon that a proposed ballot measure for a Fair and Open Competition ordinance easily qualified for the next city election ballot. The well-organized, experienced campaign executive committee of local business owners and association representatives submitted their petitions on September 2, well ahead of the deadline, with far […]
Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s Open Competition Executive Order
Despite the attempts of lawmakers in California to override the will of local voters and their elected officials, not all of the news on wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) mandates from the states last week was bad. On Sept. 7, a federal District Court judge in Iowa dismissed a lawsuit filed by the […]