ABC-CCC

Project Labor Agreements on California School Construction Raise Costs up to 15 Percent, Study Says

0 July 27, 2011  School Construction, State & Local Construction

According to a new study released by the National University System Institute for Policy Research (NUSIPR), California school construction projects built using project labor agreements (PLAs) experienced increased costs of 13 percent to 15 percent, or $28.90 to $32.49 per square foot, compared to projects that did not use a PLA. Measuring the Cost of […]

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Do Project Labor Agreements Ensure Compliance with Labor Laws?

3 November 2, 2010  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

It is a myth that anti-competitive government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) — schemes public officials beholden to Big Labor’s special interests execute to funnel lucrative public construction contracts to unionized contractors and union members in return for continued political support — ensure compliance with labor and employment laws and regulations.

An audit found violations by 55 contractors working on a $150 million Los Angeles Unified School District high school under construction in San Fernando, Calif., subject to a government-mandated PLA. The violations include failure to pay prevailing wages and inadequate supervision of apprentices. Four of the contractors had expired or suspended licenses.

The audit results demonstrate contractors working under a government-mandated PLA violate labor laws, yet PLA proponents frequently perpetuate the myth that a PLA prevents labor law infractions on PLA projects. This example shows how the presence of a PLA does little to ensure compliance with labor laws and the arguments in support of PLA mandates are weak.

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California State Legislature Considers Repeal of Provision in California’s Design-Build Authorization Laws that Encourages Project Labor Agreements

0 January 14, 2010  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

Merit shop contractors in California continue to go on the offense whenever possible with state and local policy initiatives that prohibit project labor agreements and guarantee or restore fair and open bid competition.  We were pleased on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 to see a committee of the California Assembly consider thoughtful state legislation that repeals […]

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FlashReport Takes Big Labor’s PLA Arguments to the Woodshed

1 January 13, 2010  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

Joe Fleischman of the FlashReport Weblog on California Politics obliterates project labor agreement (PLA) proponents’ frail arguments in light of a recent report that Milpitas City Library contractors violated labor laws despite the fact that this project was covered by a PLA (“More Fodder For Opponents Of Project Labor Agreements Courtesy Of Milpitas,” 1/12). Mr. Fleishman on […]

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Milpitas City Library Project PLA: A “Model Of Success”

1 January 12, 2010  State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

Big Labor and their allies often claim that wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) guarantee that workers will be paid fair wages and ensure that contractors on covered projects follow the highest labor standards. Nevertheless, the Taxpayers Accountability Project of Associated Builders and Contractors, California Cooperation Committee (ABC-CCC) found at least 56 violations of […]

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