Case Studies

Another PLA Myth Busted: PLAs Fail to Prevent Strikes on NYC Projects

2 August 2, 2011  Featured, State & Local Construction

Construction unions market project labor agreements (PLAs) to public and private construction owners as a tool to guarantee labor peace on construction projects. But recent examples of strikes and walkouts on PLA projects in NYC and other areas across the U.S. call into question the value of these anti-competitive schemes designed steer contracts to union contractors and union […]

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San Diego Unified School District PLA Fails to Meet Local Hiring Goals

1 July 11, 2011  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

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 […]

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Project Labor Agreement Mandate Reduces Competition and Increases Costs To Berkeley Taxpayers

0 May 4, 2011  State & Local Construction

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 […]

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Labor Secretary Solis Promotes Project Labor Agreements at Big Labor’s Infamous Hotel Boondoggle

1 November 22, 2010  Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

It is no secret that U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Hilda Solis supports anti-competitive and costly project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects. On Nov. 9, 2010, Solis made these remarks in support of PLAs and President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 to the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing […]

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More Evidence That Project Labor Agreements Reduce Competition and Increase Costs

0 November 16, 2010  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

Big Labor Bosses and their hand-picked political puppets claim that anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are in the public’s best interest.  In reality, PLAs are crony contracting schemes implemented by corrupt elected officials that funnel lucrative public works contracts to union contractors and their union employees in exchange for political support. Numerous […]

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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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Think Tank Attacks Project Labor Agreement Discrimination

6 September 29, 2010  Federal Construction, School Construction, Uncategorized

Jim Waters, vice president of policy and communications for the Bluegrass Institute, Kentucky’s free-market think tank, penned an interesting column about the discriminatory nature of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). Here is an excerpt from “Local PLAs bite the hand feeding the beast,” 9/24: Prejudice at the lunch counter may have disappeared, but other types of discrimination remain alive […]

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Evidence That Project Labor Agreements Do Not Guarantee a Safer Workplace

0 September 11, 2010  Federal Construction, State & Local Construction

Big Labor Bosses and their hand-picked political puppets claim that anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are in the public’s best interest.  In reality, PLAs are crony contracting schemes implemented by corrupt elected officials that funnel lucrative public works contracts to union contractors and their union employees in exchange for political support. Taxpayers are […]

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Bids Reveal Increased Costs for Ohio School’s Crony Contracting Scheme

1 August 3, 2010  School Construction, State & Local Construction, Uncategorized

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has covered how former Big Labor Boss Richard Murray, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland’s (D) appointed Director of the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC), is under investigation for forcing school districts to utilize anti-competitive project labor agreement (PLA) schemes that funnel lucrative school construction contracts to unionized contractors and union labor after these special interest groups have contributed […]

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