New Jersey Court Rules Toll Bridge Commission’s Project Labor Agreement Scheme Illegal
On April 4, the Appellate Division of the New Jersey Superior Court ruled (pdf) that a commission authorized by New Jersey and Pennsylvania law to build and maintain Delaware River bridges lacked the authority to require controversial project labor agreements. At issue were a contractor’s allegations that the Delaware Joint Toll Bridge Commission violated its […]
Union Leaders and Contractors Oppose Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements Too
The debate surrounding controversial government-mandated project labor agreements is often framed by the media, elected officials and policy wonks as a dispute pitting construction unions against nonunion contractors in a battle about whether the government should be enacting PLA preference and mandate policies that ultimately steer taxpayer-funded construction contracts to unionized contractors and create jobs […]
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 […]
USACE Project Labor Agreement Survey Responses For Delaware River Dredging Project Due July 16
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Philadelphia District is requesting comments from the construction community addressing a potential government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) for a large-scale federal project dredging the Philadelphia Harbor, Tinicum Ranges and Delaware River Channel in the vicinity of the Beckett Street Terminal in Camden, New Jersey. The entire $300 million Delaware […]
Philly Mayor Opens Door to Waste and Discrimination with Pro-PLA Executive Order
Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter issued Executive Order 15-11 on Nov. 29, 2011, re-establishing the use of anti-competitive and costly union-favoring government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on city projects costing more than $5 million. According to Philly’s press release, the order does not mandate PLAs on all projects, but it creates a PLA evaluation procedure that opens the door […]
Minority Contractors Association in Portland, Oregon to Host PLA Forum
The National Association of Minority Contractors – Oregon is hosting a public forum on project labor agreements today (January 25, 2011) at the Kaiser Town Hall Bldg on N. Interstate (3704 N. Interstate) from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time. In a January 19 opinion piece in the Portland-based The Skanner newspaper entitled Can the Unions […]
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 […]
Will Philadelphia Convention Center Expansion Project Labor Agreement Prevent Labor Unrest?
Last night collective bargaining agreements between Philadelphia area Carpenters Unions and Laborers Unions and contractors expired, leaving construction project owners and contractors with concerns about union strikes and labor disputes on jobsites covered by expired collective bargaining agreements. According to this short 5/4 Philadelphia Inquirer piece, the Carpenters and Laborers’ District Council have been negotiating […]