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 […]
Nevada’s Anti-Free Enterprise Lawmakers Rescind Fair and Open Competition Law
On May 28, 2019, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) signed a bill (SB 231) that will hurt Nevada’s taxpayers and construction industry by reinstating controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on certain Nevada public works projects. SB 231 repealed a 2015 law (AB 159) passed by the then GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Gov. Sandoval (R). […]
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 […]
National Black Chamber of Commerce Blasts Lack of Diversity in Construction Trade Unions
Earlier this month, the National Black Chamber of Commerce penned an open letter to U.S. Representative Marica Fudge, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, claiming construction unions have “consistently discriminated against Black workers and contractors” and are “a prime contributor to Black unemployment” (“Strange Bedfellows – Unions and Black Politicians“): “We are very disturbed that elected officials […]
Prince George’s County, Maryland Considers Wasteful PLA Requirement
Price George’s County will consider legislation today that would require contractors to agree to wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) as a condition of performing work on all projects costing more than $1 million. Update: PG County passed this policy Nov. 15, 2011 (read the Prince George’s County press release on the policy here) This proposal […]
Report Documents Problems Involving Minorities and Women on PLA Projects
As part of our ongoing series publishing the truth about government-mandated projects labor agreements (PLAs), here is a chapter documenting Problems Involving Minorities and Women on PLA Projects from Maury Baskin’s Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements: The Public Record of Poor Performance (2011 Edition). VII. PLA Problems Involving Minorities and Women Some recent PLAs have included […]
Telling the Truth About PLAs on The Daily Caller: Big Labor’s $3.3 Million Tip
Word is getting out about the Obama administration’s $3.3 million gift to Big Labor. It appears Christmas came early for Washington, D.C. union bosses, when the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) paid a federal contractor at least $3.3 million to execute a change order adding a wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) to a […]
Money For Nothin’
Bret Jacobson, a blogger on BigGovernment.com, reminds readers (Our Dire Straits: Money For Nothin’, 12/9/10) of a story reported earlier this week about taxpayer waste on the renovation of the Lafayette Federal Building in downtown Washington D.C. As regular readers remember, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) paid a federal contractor at least $3.3 million as […]
Millions of Stimulus Dollars Wasted on Lafayette Building’s Project Labor Agreement Gift to Big Labor
How much does a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) add to a $52.3 million construction project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) in Washington, D.C.? At least $3.3 million. That’s the cost of a change order the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) paid to a federal contractor to ensure renovations to the […]
National Black Chamber of Commerce Attacks Union Barriers to Black Employment in Construction
Harry Alford, National Black Chamber of Commerce president and frequent critic of discriminatory and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) penned another column trashing PLAs that will run in numerous newspapers across the country this week. The piece attacks special interest schemes similar to PLAs that funnel taxpayer-funded construction jobs to union members and away from the […]