Unions Unveil Last-Minute Legislative Schemes in California to End Local Fair and Open Competition Policies and Promote Project Labor Agreements
On the afternoon of September 2 – the Friday before Labor Day weekend – the California State Building and Construction Trades Council finally revealed its plot to terminate local efforts throughout the state to guarantee the best quality construction at the best price for taxpayers. Bills in the California State Legislature were “gutted and amended” […]
Sacramento Newspaper Explains Project Labor Agreements as Signature Collection Continues for Fair and Open Competition Ballot Measures
The Sacramento News & Review, a long-established independent alternative weekly newspaper, has just published a well-written article explaining perspectives on project labor agreements (PLAs) and the proposed Fair and Open Competition ballot measures for the City of Sacramento and County of Sacramento. It includes comments from two local elected officials, a local contractor, and Kevin […]
Obama Administration Official Exceeds Authority in Pushing Local Governments to Mandate Project Labor Agreements
“I encourage you to read this guidance and to make use of project labor agreements whenever possible.” Is this an excerpt from a letter written by a top construction union official promoting anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs)? Believe it or not, it is the concluding inspirational thought in a “Project Labor Agreement […]
Stanislaus County Supervisors Vote to Approve Open Competition Ordinance
Today, the elected Board of Supervisors for Stanislaus County, Calif., voted 5-0 for a Fair and Open Competition ordinance. This will be the eighth local government in California to ensure taxpayers get the best quality construction at the best price by banning government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on county-funded construction projects. Lawmakers at all levels […]
San Diego Unified School District PLA Fails to Meet Local Hiring Goals
Longtime readers of this blog remember that a PLA requirement was adopted by the San Diego Unified School District for all projects funded by Proposition S, a $2.1 billion voter-approved school construction bond. We have already seen this PLA requirement lead to expensive cost increases. Media reports now find that projects covered by the PLA […]
Voters in City of Sacramento and County of Sacramento Asked to Ensure Fair and Open Competition for Construction Contracts
On Thursday, June 9, a group of local contractors, construction workers, business associations, and taxpayer advocates held a press conference announcing the launch of an audacious campaign to win voter approval of two ballot measures that would ensure fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction contracts in the City of Sacramento and in the County […]
Merit Shop Advocates Prepare to Open a New Front in the Fight Against PLAs in California
Merit shop advocates in California are taking the fight against wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) to northern California. This campaign will make the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County the 8th and 9th local government entities in California to ban government-mandated PLAs. Here is a press release from the Coalition for Fair Employment […]
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Crushes Fair and Open Competition for Hospital Project
The seven-month battle at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors over requiring contractors to sign the county’s first government-mandated project labor agreement (renamed on the May 24 agenda as a “Community Workforce Agreement”) came to an end today (May 24, 2011) with a regrettable result for county taxpayers, as well as businesses and their […]
Project Labor Agreement Mandate Reduces Competition and Increases Costs To Berkeley Taxpayers
The bid results from a public library renovation project in Berkeley, California provides the public with yet another example of a project subject to a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) that has suffered from increased construction costs and reduced competition from local qualified contractors and their skilled employees. After a second round of bidding, the […]
It’s Out in the Open: Project Labor Agreement a Costly Possibility for San Diego Convention Center Expansion
The Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) held a press conference on February 22 to oppose the rumored plan to require contractors to sign a project labor agreement (PLA) to work on construction of the proposed $700 million San Diego Convention Center Expansion. Accompanied by more than 50 construction workers, the organization unveiled its […]