Congressional Testimony Says Project Labor Agreements Harm Minority Contractors and Employees
On Sept 22, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Management, Organization, and Procurement held a hearing called, “Minority Contracting: Opportunities and Challenges for Current and Future Minority-Owned Businesses.” Testimony (pdf) of Anthony W. Robinson, president of the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund (MBELDEF) pointed to union-favoring government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) as […]
Think Tank Attacks Project Labor Agreement Discrimination
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 […]
Project Labor Agreements Don’t Guarantee a Local Workforce
When Big Labor claims project labor agreements (PLAs) guarantee a local workforce, challenge that assertion. Inquire and request documentation explaining the local union hall’s policy on “travelers” or “boomers” and ask elected officials in charge of construction projects to have local union halls submit their policy in writing. Typically, union collective bargaining agreements and PLAs give out-of-area travelers/boomers […]
Bay Area Black Builders Push Back on Project Labor Agreements
Joseph Debro is president of a new organization, Bay Area Black Builders, composed of black construction workers and contractors fighting together for economic justice. Mr. Debro writes about how building trades unions in his community, through project labor agreements (PLAs), serve as a barrier between black contractors and prosperity (“Jobs Now!” 12/28). The building trades unions have […]
Philadelphia National Association of Minority Contractors Blasts Project Labor Agreements
John Macklin, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association of Minority Contractors and vice president of the association’s northeast region, wrote an excellent Op-Ed in opposition to a project labor agreement (PLA) on the $400 million Graterford Prison expansion project. It ran in the print edition of the Philadelphia Daily News as well as the […]
Project Labor Agreements’ Dire Effect on Minority Contractors
In a September 9 entry on the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s (CEI) blog openmarkets.org, CEI Editorial Director Ivan Osorio notes the negative impact of PLAs on job creation, especially for local residents and minority contractors. The post also points out that this problem is likely to become more widespread thanks to President Obama’s Executive Order 13502, which […]
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com to Speak at NBCC Legislative Conference
I am speaking at the National Black Chamber of Commerce Legislative Conference in Washington, DC as a panelist for a session called “Revitalizing the U.S. Department of Transportation” today. NBCC President Harry Alford invited me to discuss the impact of pro-union policies such as Executive Order 13502 and federal prevailing wage laws under the Davis-Bacon Act on U.S. DOT projects. […]
Harry Alford Defends Free Enterprise on Capital Hill and with Bill O’Reilly
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com wants to recognize defender of free enterprise and PLA fighter Harry Alford, President of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Alford has received national attention over his recent testimony to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in which he called Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to task for racially insensitive remarks. Once video of the exchange hit the Internet, it went […]