No Union Advantage, Gov. Patrick?
h/t Red Mass Group The Boston Herald editorial board summarized this doublespeak nicely (“A Labored Response,” 7/8): Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday seemed baffled by the notion that unions have any advantage in the competition for certain public construction jobs. He should read his own public comments more closely. During his monthly radio appearance on WTKK […]
Boston Globe Editorial Opposes UMass Project Labor Agreement
A Boston Globe editorial opposes the anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on $750 million worth of Umass-Boston construction projects (“Public benefits don’t justify labor deal on Umass project,” 7/5). It comes on the heels of intense media coverage, op-eds and editorials in Massachusetts newspapers of the Umass PLA and The Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby’s sharp criticism of […]
The Most Infamous PLA Job: Lessons from Boston’s Big Dig
Boston newspaper editorials point out that Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick’s recent use of PLA mandates in exchange for Big Labor’s support during November’s gubernatorial election makes little fiscal sense for Mass. taxpayers and stinks of political favoritism – especially considering the $22 billion Big Dig’s well-documented record of missed deadlines, cost-overruns, construction defects (including a motorist fatility due to a collapsed tunnel ceiling panel), and reports of union workers visting methadone clinics, sleeping and drinking heavily on the job.
Funded by federal and Massachusetts taxpayers, the Big Dig is the most expensive and infamous government-mandated PLA job of all time.
Boston Globe Columnist: Labor Agreements Make No Sense
The Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby blasts Mass. Gov. Patrick’s support of anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on Umass-Boston construction projects (“Labor agreements make no sense,” 6/27). THIS IS the kind of thing, Charlie Baker was saying one day last week, that “makes people crazy about state government.’’ The Republican gubernatorial candidate was […]
Boston Herald Editorial: There is No Rationale for Project Labor Agreements
A Boston Herald editorial lampoons the fuzzy logic used by the Patrick Administration regarding their defense and promotion of a project labor agreement (PLA) for a new UMass project TheTruthAboutPLAs.com covered here (“Love song to labor,” 6/17/10). Project labor agreements limit competition, drive up costs and exclude a majority of Bay State tradespeople from working on a […]
PLA Scheme Adopted at UMass: Governor Patrick and Big Labor Continue Cozy Relationship
As reported in the Boston Globe here and here, this week the UMass Building Authority board of directors voted for a project labor agreement (PLA) on the Boston campus’ master plan, a 10-year blueprint with an estimated $750 million in future construction projects. The UMass Building Authority’s vote comes after Mass. Governor Deval Patrick pledged to unions that […]
Mass. Gubernatorial Candidates Clash Over PLAs
According to an editorial in the Worcester Telegram, government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) have been a divisive issue between incumbent Democrat Deval Patrick and GOP challenger Charles Baker in the Massachussetts gubernatorial race (“Shop Talk: Patrick and Baker camps spar over PLAs,” 5/6/10): The verbal dispute between the Patrick administration and GOP gubernatorial candidate Charles Baker over project labor agreements […]
Employee Says PLAs Obstruct Fair Play
An open shop employee’s letter to the Worcester Telegram (Mass.) editor was published today (“PLAs get in the way of fair play,” 5/4) “in response to a letter to the editor concerning a level playing field for unions.” Mr. Cote of Leominster writes: How can they call it fair play if I pay my taxes the […]
Patrick’s Policies Make Hiring Local Workers “Impossible”
In response to a recent Boston Herald report that Massachusetts stimulus work is going to out of state contractors, ABC Massachusetts chapter Greg Beeman offered his thoughts on how Gov. Deval Patrick’s push for PLAs on state work will make this problem worse in an April 8 op-ed published by the Herald. Here are the […]
Clash of the Mass. Construction Industry Titans: PLA Debate on Boston Talk Radio
The Tom and Todd program on Boston’s WRKO AM 680 Talk Radio held a debate this morning about government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) between Ron Cogliano of the Merit Construction Alliance and Frank Callahan of the Massachusetts Building Construction Trades Council. The debate was inspired by an anti-PLA Boston Globe column by Scott Lehigh that we covered here last […]