Bridge

Tappan Zee Bridge Project Labor Agreement Fuels Cycle of Political Cronyism in Public Contracting

0 June 25, 2013  Featured, Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

Last week, a Newsday article reported that a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) for construction of New York’s federally and state-funded Tappan Zee Bridge will result in a multi-million-dollar windfall for construction union political action committees (PACs) and their crony beneficiaries in government (“Tappan Zee project to boost unions’ political action funds,” 6/17/13): When Gov. […]

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New York’s Newburgh-Beacon Bridge Work Suspended Following Accidents on Project Labor Agreement Jobsite

0 June 17, 2013  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

Last week the New York Bridge Authority suspended work on the “Hamilton Fish” Newburgh-Beacon Bridge following two accidents on the $23 million contract. On June 13, a painter had to be airlifted to a hospital from the jobsite following an accident. A May 21 incident left two painters dangling from safety harnesses under the bridge (see article and image from […]

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Op-Ed: Gov’s Insistence on PLAs Excludes Majority of State’s Skilled Labor

0 August 2, 2012  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

The controversy over Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s (D) decision to require contractors to sign a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) as a condition of performing work on the $285 million reconstruction of I-95’s Whittier Bridge continued to attract attention and remind Bostonians of past PLA failures in their community this week.     Greg Beeman, president of […]

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Gov. Patrick Pushes PLA on Whittier Memorial Bridge as Big Dig Costs Balloon to $24.3 Billion

0 July 16, 2012  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure

Insanity is often described as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick (D) should revisit his position on a costly and unfortunate policy favoring construction trade unions or expect more waste, discrimination and insanity in the Bay State.

Last week, the ballooning costs of the Big Dig grabbed headlines while Gov. Patrick was criticized for restricting competition for construction contracts to build the $285 million Whittier Memorial Bridge across the Merrimack River to firms willing to sign a union-only government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA).

Meanwhile, last week state lawmakers learned Big Dig costs have mushroomed to more than $24.3 billion, harming the state’s ability to fund other critical transportation projects and create additional construction jobs. Funded by federal and Massachusetts taxpayers, the Big Dig is the most expensive and infamous government-mandated PLA job of all time.

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CT DOT Official: Project Labor Agreements Limit Pool of Prospective Bidders

0 May 4, 2009  State & Local Construction, Transportation & Infrastructure, Uncategorized

According to this 5/3 New Haven Register article, Connecticut International Union of Operating Engineers Local 478 President Benedict Cozzi is upset that local union workers do not have a monopoly on the labor needed to build foundations for the Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge, also known as the Q Bridge, in New Haven, CT. Merit shop contractors and subcontractors are building the […]

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