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Project Labor Agreements Raise Costs on Ohio Schools 13 Percent, Study Finds
A study by the Beacon Hill Institute has shown that when mandated by the government on taxpayer-funded construction projects, project labor agreements (PLAs) increase the costs of construction 13.12 percent. The study examined 88 schools across Ohio that were built since 2000 and found government-mandated PLAs cost $23.12 per square foot more (13.12 percent) than projects built […]
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 […]
West Jefferson Hills School Board Members Who Support a 15% Cost Increase
Carolyn Bourgeois Email Darlene Schreiber Email John Hosmer Email Dr. David Graham Email Anna Louise Lilley Email Anthony M. Angotti Email Alan J. Caponi Email PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT (PLA) MANDATES ARE BAD FOR THE WEST JEFFERSON HILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT. How PLAs Increase Costs PLA Mandates INCREASE Project Costs – studies show these mandates increase school construction […]
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 […]
PLA Requirement Costs Southern California Taxpayers
In a story we can file under “no surprise here,” we learned earlier this week that the PLA mandate on the Rancho Campana High School caused the budget for the project to come in higher than expected. The Oxnard Union High School Board in Ventura, Calif., voted to approve approximately $58 million for the construction […]
Taxpayers Win Big Without Federal Project Labor Agreement on New Hampshire Job Corps Center
Taxpayers will save more than $6 million on the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Manchester, New Hampshire, Job Corps Center project thanks to the benefits of fair and open competition free from anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). This important example of a federal project bid with and without a PLA requirement undermines […]
Great Scott: Projects Bid With and Without PLA Mandates Show PLAs Increase Costs and Reduce Competition
While researching the use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) in West Virginia in advance of Wednesday’s deadline for a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) survey about a potential PLA mandate on a large-scale federal project in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., TheTruthAboutPLAs.com went back in time to revisit another real-world example of how discriminatory PLA […]
Told You So: Project Labor Agreement on Connecticut High School Increased Costs and Reduced Competition
In 2012, the merit shop contracting community and city employees predicted Meriden, Conn., would face increased costs and reduced competition if the city council mandated a union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) on $220 million worth of contracts to renovate two local high schools. (TheTruthAboutPLAs.com covered the controversy here and here). Despite the warnings, testy public […]
Delays and Increased Costs: The Truth about the Failed PLA on the GSA’s Headquarters at 1800 F Street
New documents recently uncovered via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request prove a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) initially used on a large-scale federal construction project—the Phase 1 modernization of the General Services Administration (GSA) headquarters at 1800 F Street Building in Washington, D.C.—led to increased costs and needless delays in the procurement process. […]
Victory: Manchester’s U.S. DOL Job Corps Center To Proceed Free From Project Labor Agreement Scheme
Last week the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed the elimination of a controversial project labor agreement (PLA) mandate on its estimated $20 million to $50 million Job Corps Center in Manchester, N.H., when it issued a pre-solicitation for construction services without discriminatory and costly PLA mandate or preference language. When mandated by government entities, […]