Prince George’s County Abandons Anti-Competitive, Budget-Busting Project Labor Agreement on Laurel Library
Another taxpayer-funded project subject to a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) in the Washington, D.C., region has run into trouble. The Baltimore Sun reported that a union-favoring PLA required by Prince George’s County on the construction of the new library in Laurel, Md., has been scrapped because it caused delays, increased costs, and reduced competition from local contractors and […]
Data Busts Myth that Project Labor Agreements Result in Increased Local Hiring
Special interest groups are in the business of convincing government officials and taxpayers there is a public benefit to anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs), which create jobs exclusively for unionized construction workers and steer huge public construction contracts primarily to well-connected unionized contractors. In particular, proponents of government-mandated PLAs push an unsubstantiated […]
Delays and Increased Costs: The Truth about the Failed PLA on the GSA’s Headquarters at 1800 F Street
New documents recently uncovered via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request prove a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) initially used on a large-scale federal construction project—the Phase 1 modernization of the General Services Administration (GSA) headquarters at 1800 F Street Building in Washington, D.C.—led to increased costs and needless delays in the procurement process. […]
GSA Wasted Millions on Union Handout: Where’s the Outrage?
Eight senior U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) officials have been disciplined, fired or forced to resign since last Monday’s release of a scathing report by GSA Inspector General (IG) Brian Miller, whose staff spent a year reviewing waste, fraud and abuse related to $823,000 in spending to entertain 300 GSA employees at a regional conference held at […]
Project Labor Agreement on the GSA’s St. Elizabeth’s Site Possible
A Washington Post article about the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) multi-billion dollar St. Elizabeth’s federal project in Washington, D.C. piqued the curiosity of a TruthAboutPLAs.com reader (“In St. Elizabeths project, opportunities for many,” 4/26). First, here is some information on the St. Elizabeth’s project: Backhoes scoop thousands of cubic yards of dark brown dirt […]
Review of District of Columbia Project Labor Agreements
As members of the D.C. Council review the misleadingly named District Resident Employment and Trade Stimulus Act of 2010 (Bill 18-650), which would require project labor agreements (PLAs) on D.C. construction projects that cost more than $200,000 and receive government assistance, it is important to review the limited, yet poor, history Washington, D.C., has had with PLAs. Research in […]