California Legislature Poised to Issue First Local PLA Mandate in State History
The California Legislature is set to break new ground and taxpayers should be very concerned. For the first time in state history, the Legislature is posed to require a local government entity to mandate a project labor agreement (PLA) on a local construction project. If Assembly Bill 155, sponsored by Assemblyman Luis Alejo (D), is […]
NAVFAC Project Labor Agreement Survey For China Lake Project Due May 2
Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest is requesting comments from the construction industry addressing a potential government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) for a large-scale design-build federal contract to reconstruct the primary runway and E-28 arresting gear foundations at Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, California. Responses are due by 2 PM PST on Friday, May 2, 2014, to […]
PLA Requirement Costs Southern California Taxpayers
In a story we can file under “no surprise here,” we learned earlier this week that the PLA mandate on the Rancho Campana High School caused the budget for the project to come in higher than expected. The Oxnard Union High School Board in Ventura, Calif., voted to approve approximately $58 million for the construction […]
USACE Project Labor Agreement Survey for IDIQ Contracts at Edwards AFB Due Feb. 24
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Los Angeles District is soliciting comments from the federal construction community about the potential requirement of a project labor agreement (PLA) on federal Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts to complete asphalt and concrete pavement repairs and new improvements at militarily installations at Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, and other unspecified projects within the […]
Bad Wine: Sonoma County Approves PLA Requirement
After months of consideration, the Sonoma County California Board of Supervisors voted this week to approve a policy mandating the use of wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) on county projects of $10 million or more. The discussion about whether the county should require PLAs on its construction projects started in 2012, but Sonoma […]
Construction Fatalities and Protest by Minority Contracting Community Plague New 49ers Stadium Project
Construction of the San Francisco 49ers’ $1.2 billion Levi’s stadium, subject to a controversial government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA), has been plagued by two fatal jobsite accidents and a protest by a coalition of community groups and activists outraged by the lack of construction contracts awarded to minority businesses. PLA advocates claim anti-competitive and costly PLA schemes promote safe jobsites and […]
$1 Billion Airport Expansion in San Diego More Evidence that the Merit Shop Works
The merit shop construction community in Southern California again demonstrated this week they can create value for taxpayers without wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs). On Tuesday, the $1 billion expansion of San Diego’s Lindbergh Field opened to the public. This project was completed on time, under budget, created thousands of jobs, resulted in […]
Another Accident on a Project Labor Agreement Jobsite: OSHA Investigating Construction Fatality on New 49ers Stadium
A tragic construction accident on a California project subject to a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) claimed a life last week. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, on June 11, 2013, an elevator mechanic was killed at the new 49ers stadium construction site in Santa Clara, Calif., (“49ers stadium accident kills worker,” 6/11/13): An elevator mechanic was killed […]
ABC California Critical of California High Speed Rail’s Union-Favoring Project Labor Agreement
At yesterday’s United States House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials field hearing in Madera, California, on the federally assisted California High Speed Rail project, ABC California submitted a statement for the record and issued a press release in opposition to the union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) required by the California High Speed […]
Merit Shop Contractors Deliver Award-Winning Large-Scale Federal Project For NAVFAC
A joint venture (JV) between two quality merit shop federal contractors, Straub Construction, Inc. and Martin Harris Construction, successfully designed and built a parking facility and Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) for the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California. This large-scale design/build federal project, […]