New Study Calls Federal Project Labor Agreements a Costly Solution in Search of a Problem
A news release issued yesterday by the Beacon Hill Institute (BHI) promotes a new study that is critical of federal government-mandated Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and President Obama’s Executive Order 13502. The study found that PLAs, which are encouraged on federal construction projects costing more than $25 million via President Obama’s Feb. 6 executive order, will “significantly increase construction […]
ABC Contractor Discusses Negative Impact of Project Labor Agreements with Fox Business Channel
Brett McMahon of Miller & Long Concrete (Washington, DC) discusses the negative impact of project labor agreements (PLAs) and President Obama’s Executive Order 13502 on construction businesses with Fox Business Channel’s 9/3 “Happy Hour” program. Miller & Long is the largest concrete contractor in the U.S. and was named the number one concrete construction company in […]
Required Reading: Non-Union Contractors Lose In Obama Policy
The Bulletin, a Philadelphia area newspaper, printed an excellent piece on President Obama’s Executive Order 13502 (“Non-Union Contractors Lose In Obama Policy,” 8/30). It is required reading, as the piece features great quotes from ABC member contractor Brett McMahon, who provides thoughtful insight into how PLAs impact non-union contractors and their workforce and why the popularity of PLAs […]
It’s the PLA, Stupid!
Penn State’s student run newspaper, The Daily Collegian, reports that the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has started the rebidding process for the $200 million State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Benner Township in Centre County, PA after costs from the initial round of bidding came in too high (“Prison construction bidding to resume,” 8/26). Despite predictions by politicians (specifically […]
CNN Calls Project Labor Agreements and Executive Order 13502 a Massive Windfall for Organized Labor
Yesterday was the deadline for regulatory comments in response to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council’s proposed rule to implement Executive Order 13502 regarding the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects. Relying on factual evidence and industry experience, numerous trade associations and hundreds of ABC contractors yesterday submitted comments in strong opposition […]
New Evidence Shows Project Labor Agreements Will Injure Competition
On July 15, 2009, ABC’s weekly electronic publication, Newsline, conducted an electronic poll of Newsline subscribers about the impact of government mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on bidding for public construction projects. The poll remained open until July 22, 2009 and readers were asked to respond to this question: “Would you be more likely or […]
WSJ says Union Pensions in the Red. Project Labor Agreements to the Rescue?
As TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has said before, one of the reasons construction unions push discriminatory and costly project labor agreements (PLAs) is because they are a windfall for their mismanaged and underfunded pension programs. The Wall Street Journal’s July 26 opinion piece, Union Pensions in the Red, exposed the inadequate funding levels of numerous union pension plans’ and lists Big […]
Understanding PLAs in Right to Work States
There is great confusion in the construction community about the legality of PLAs in right to work states. The media, public, elected officials and construction professionals would benefit from understanding the small but significant difference between PLAs in right to work states and PLAs in non-right to work states.PLAs can occur in right to work […]
PLA Video Archives
It’s time we visited the PLA video archives. Although dated, this video was produced to explain the negative impact of a proposed PLA on a new arena for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies. The Memphis Grizzlies arena project was built on time and on budget without a costly and discriminatory PLA. Happy 4th of July Weekend.
PLA Archives: White House Executive Orders Concerning Project Labor Agreements
After reading our previous posts on President Obama’s Executive Order 13502, a TruthAboutPLAs.com reader contacted me with concerns about Section 7 of Obama’s Executive Order 13502, which asks the Secretary of Labor, OMB Director and other Obama administration officials to make recommendations about the broader use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal and federally assisted construction […]