Understanding the Merit Shop Contractor Cost Advantage
One of the biggest complaints against government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) is that these anti-competitive schemes saddle nonunion and merit shop contractors with inefficient union work rules and high operational costs unique to unionized contractors, which results in reduced competition and increased costs to taxpayers. Studies have found that these costly inefficiencies, coupled with reduced […]
Understanding Core Workforce Provisions in Project Labor Agreements
Among the many reasons why most merit shop contractors oppose government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) is language requiring contractors to hire all trades employees for a PLA jobsite directly from union hiring halls. Sample language from a typical PLA: “Article 7.01. – For Unions having a hiring hall or job referral system in their local […]
Report Highlights Inefficient Union Work Rules in NYC, Developers Say Alleged PLA Cost Savings Disappointing
Merit shop contractors know government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) saddle nonunion and merit shop contractors with inefficient union work rules and high operational costs unique to unionized contractors, which results in reduced competition and increased costs to taxpayers. But few understand the merit shop contractor cost advantage despite anecdotal evidence and compelling research on the topic. […]
Union Boss Calls for Reform: Says Union Labor is Costly and Unproductive
Comments from a St. Louis area union boss in an article in the Illinois Business Journal supports the premise that anti-competitive project labor agreements (PLAs) saddle construction owners and contractors with poor productivity and archaic union work rules that needlessly inflate the cost of construction (“Lack of productivity puts St. Louis in backseat for economic development“). Note: […]