WSJ Project Labor Agreement Op-Ed: A Wisconsin Lesson for Trump the Builder
The Wall Street Journal editorial and op-ed pages have invested barrels of ink opposing anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). In numerous instances (see pieces at end of blog post) the WSJ editorial board has derided PLA mandates, calling them “crony contracts,” “a rotten deal for taxpayers,” and worse: “PLAs are a form of political bid-rigging that robs […]
Respond to USACE Olmsted L&D Project Labor Agreement Survey by April 13
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Louisville District has issued a survey requesting information from the contracting community about the potential use of a project labor agreement (PLA) on a federal contract for Marine Construction of 14 River Dikes located throughout the Olmsted Locks and Dams project in Illinois and Kentucky. TheTruthAboutPLAs.com encourages the merit shop […]
Illinois Gov. Rauner Calls for Project Labor Agreement and Prevailing Wage Reform
Yesterday, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner delivered a State of the State address to Illinois lawmakers, laying out bold reforms to make Illinois more competitive. Included in Gov. Rauner’s plan to reinvent Illinois is a call to eliminate anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) and reform Illinois prevailing wage rules, which will help reduce taxpayer-funded construction costs […]
USACE Project Labor Agreement Survey For Scott Air Force Base Visiting Quarters Project Due Dec. 2
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Louisville District is requesting comments from the construction community addressing a potential government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on a federal construction contract to build Visiting Quarters located at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. To review and respond to the USACE survey, click here. All responses must be submitted via email […]
USACE Project Labor Agreement Survey For Scott Air Force Base Construction Due April 24
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Louisville District issued a survey requesting feedback from the construction industry about the potential use of a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on a contract to design/bid/build a new DISA facility at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. To review and respond to the survey, click here. All responses must be […]
USACE Project Labor Agreement Survey for Ft. Sheridan Army Reserve Center Project Due March 1
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Louisville District has issued a survey to the construction community concerning a potential government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) for a large-scale Army Reserve Center project at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. To review the survey and learn how to respond to it (Solicitation Number W912QR-13-PLA-SHERIDANARC), click here. Responses are due via […]
Illinois: Where Raising Taxes Isn’t Enough
Illinois taxpayers are having a rough go of it lately. While leaders in many states have reshaped their state governments to use public funds more efficiently and provide some relief to taxpayers, Illinois lawmakers have decided to go the other way on this issue. Illinois lawmakers went after people’s pocketbooks directly in early 2011, enacting […]
Chicago’s Crony Politics Force Wal-Mart to Sign Project Labor Agreement
TheTruthAboutPLAs.com readers have been sending emails and comments about recent reports that Wal-Mart has signed a multi-store project labor agreement (PLA) with Chicago area building trades unions for about $1 billion worth of construction during the next five years. The construction of “several dozen” stores in 19 Illinois counties is expected to create 10,000 permanent […]
Ethics Complaint Raises Questions About UMass Crony Contracting Scheme
Yesterday, The Boston Globe reported that a group of nonunion contractors filed a complaint with the State Ethics Commission alleging that a project labor agreement (PLA) favoring union labor on $750 million worth of construction at the UMass Boston campus violated the state’s conflict of interest law when it was approved by a board that includes two […]
PLA Projects Delayed By Chicago Construction Union Strike: Another PLA Myth Busted
Government officials often argue that the increased costs and discriminatory and anti-competitive nature of union-favoring government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are “bitter pills worth swallowing” for Big Labor’s promise not to strike, picket and engage in other forms of labor unrest on jobsites that could impact the on-time, on-budget delivery of a construction project. That flawed logic makes […]