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Op-Ed: Project Labor Agreements Discriminate Against New Jersey’s Minority Businesses and Workforce
A powerful Black History Month op-ed by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey CEO John Harmon makes the connection between New Jersey’s project labor agreement policy and discrimination against minority businesses and workers. It’s a common complaint against PLA schemes echoed by the National Black Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders. Check […]
97% of ABC Contractors Say Biden’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Policies Would Make Federal Construction More Expensive
According to a September 2022 survey of ABC contractor members published Sept. 28, 2022, 98% oppose President Biden’s proposed rule mandating project labor agreements on federal construction projects of $35 million or more. PLA schemes needlessly increase costs and exacerbate the construction industry’s skilled labor shortage because they exclude almost nine out of 10 workers […]
African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey Speaks Out Against Proposed PLA Act Expansion in Joint Statement with ABC New Jersey
In what should come as no surprise, New Jersey’s history of favoring costly and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements over sensible policies favoring fair and open competition has reared its ugly head once again. Pro-PLA lawmakers in the state legislature, including known PLA fanatic Senate President Stephen Sweeney, have shown they continue to value the granting […]
National Black Chamber Of Commerce Calls Virginia’s Project Labor Agreement Legislation Discriminatory
The National Black Chamber of Commerce CEO Harry Alford had some strong words about discriminatory project labor agreements and prevailing wage laws in a March 17, 2020, letter to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D), in response to recently passed Virginia legislation that would allow the Commonwealth and its localities to require PLAs on taxpayer-funded construction […]
Survey: ABC Members Strongly Oppose Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
ABC members overwhelmingly reported that government-mandated project labor agreements harm their businesses, hiring and workforce development practices and ability to complete work safely, on time and on budget, according to the results of a December 2018 membership survey published today. Ninety-eight percent of survey respondents said they were less likely to bid on a taxpayer-funded construction contract […]
Project Labor Agreement Failure: Is Seattle’s Tunnel the West Coast’s Big Dig Boondoggle?
Bad news continues to plague Washington state’s Highway 99 tunnel mega-project underneath Seattle’s downtown waterfront, contradicting a number of key points lawmakers and construction union lobbyists use to sell government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) to owners, taxpayers and the media. It has not been a model government-mandated project labor agreement, as media reports indicate the job […]
ABC and National Black Chamber of Commerce Form Alliance to Promote Free Enterprise
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com readers know The National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) has been a long-time advocate of fair and open competition in government contracting. Harry Alford, NBCC President and CEO, has been an outspoken critic of President Obama’s pro-project labor agreement (PLA) Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to require PLAs, on a case-by-case basis, on federal construction […]
Jersey City Project Labor Agreement Policies Fail to Deliver Local Jobs
Jersey City residents are upset jobs on construction projects subject to government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are not going to local minority residents, despite promises made by unions and lawmakers promoting PLAs. A video, Jersey City Need Not Apply, released last week by the Jersey City Political Action Committee (JCPAC), documents how Jersey City policies […]
Project Labor Agreement on Seattle Tunnel Mega-Project Fails to Deliver on Many Promises
Bad news continues to plague Washington state’s $2 billion Highway 99 tunnel project underneath Seattle’s downtown waterfront, contradicting a number of key points lawmakers and construction unions use to sell government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) to owners, taxpayers and the media. Despite promises by Big Labor and advocates of these union-friendly deals that allegedly prevent costly […]
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 […]