Rendell Administration Love Affair With Big Labor Stalls Prison Construction Projects and Slows Job Growth for Pennsylvanians
There is renewed interest in the delayed construction of over $800 million worth of prison construction in Pennsylvania. As regular readers of TheTruthAboutPLAs.com remember, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) promised the Pennsylvania construction unions in 2008 that the Department of General Services (DGS) would require contractors to sign wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) in […]
Do PLAs Reward Special Interests?
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has long maintained that government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are one of the purest forms of payback to special interests. Sometimes it is hard to believe that PLAs are even legal. And as this example will demonstrate, elected officials go to great lengths to justify their paybacks to special interests. Matthew J. Brouillette, president […]
Paid, Violent Construction Union Members Protest Pro-Taxpayer/Anti-Project Labor Agreement Press Conference in Harrisburg
A well-compensated angry mob and rude group of Pennsylvania construction union members descended on yesterday’s press conference, held by Pennsylvania Representative John Bear (R-Lancaster) and Republican House Policy Committee Chairman Stan Saylor (R-York) on the Harrisburg capital steps, to protest the introduction of legislation that would end discriminatory and costly project labor agreements (PLA) on state and state […]
Required Reading: Non-Union Contractors Lose In Obama Policy
The Bulletin, a Philadelphia area newspaper, printed an excellent piece on President Obama’s Executive Order 13502 (“Non-Union Contractors Lose In Obama Policy,” 8/30). It is required reading, as the piece features great quotes from ABC member contractor Brett McMahon, who provides thoughtful insight into how PLAs impact non-union contractors and their workforce and why the popularity of PLAs […]
It’s the PLA, Stupid!
Penn State’s student run newspaper, The Daily Collegian, reports that the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has started the rebidding process for the $200 million State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Benner Township in Centre County, PA after costs from the initial round of bidding came in too high (“Prison construction bidding to resume,” 8/26). Despite predictions by politicians (specifically […]
PA: Benner Township Prison Project Delayed Because Bids “Unacceptably High”
The Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has delayed construction of the State Correctional Institution at Benner Township because of “unacceptably high bids,” according to state officials. In fact, Benner Township state Senator Jake Corman told local media that “the bids were tens of millions of dollars over the state’s estimated $200 million cost for the […]
Project Labor Agreement News Round-Up
The Bulletin continued to cover the Pennsylvania Department of General Services’ decision to require a PLA on the $400 million Graterford prison project. Additionally, the Southeast Pennsylvania chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors launched a marketing campaign to inform the public about the impact of the Graterford prison project PLA on local workers and the […]
PA Government Cronyism Continues with Rockview Jail PLA
Here is an interesting update (and documentation of government corruption and cronyism) on the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Benner Township (commonly called the Rockview prison project), which is one of a series of approximately $830 million in jail construction projects the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) is putting out to bid that may […]
PA Senator Fights Rockview Prison PLA
Pennsylvania is building a series of jails around the Commonwealth and construction unions are lobbying hard to ensure discriminatory and costly PLAs on each jail. These sweetheart deals for Big Labor will funnel lucrative state construction contracts directly to unionized contractors and their union workforce with little to no competition from non-union contractors and the more than eight out […]
Big Labor’s Propaganda Machine to Decide Fate of Project Labor Agreements on PA Jail Construction
On 5/19 we wrote about the implementation of costly and discriminatory PLAs on approximately $830 million worth of construction for six new Pennsylvania prisons depends on the findings of an ongoing PLA feasibility “study” conducted by a union propoganda machine research firm with deep ties to Big Labor – the Harrisburg-based Keystone Research Center (KRC). (Note the KRC Board […]