Stop the Potential PLAs on MTA Projects in California
Associated Builders and Contractors Southern California and Los Angeles-Ventura Chapters along with Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers-LA and the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction have formed a coalition of small business organizations called Small Business United. Together, these groups are working with small, minority and disadvantaged businesses to fight wasteful and discriminatory project labor […]
Another State Legislative Committee in Michigan Approves Bill to Ban Government-Mandated PLAs
The Michigan House Commerce Committee approved legislation yesterday to prohibit wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements on state and local projects. The committee approved H.B. 4287 by a 12-7 vote. This bill now awaits consideration from the full House. The Michigan Senate has also taken up the PLA issue and S.B. 165, which is […]
Detroit News Editorial Calls for Fair Bids
In an outstanding editorial published today (“Editorial: Fair Bids,” 12/7/10), the Detroit News calls on Michigan’s leaders to eliminate government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, local and university projects in the state. Here are the highlights: The contractors association says that some state universities, community colleges and local units of government are requiring their […]
Lansing City Council on Job Creation: We Don’t Need It
In a stunning move, the Lansing, MI City Council has decided to put political payback to powerful special interests ahead of creating jobs for local residents. This wouldn’t be THAT big of a deal, except the East Lansing-Lansing unemployment rate has jumped to over 10 percent. Major development plans for downtown Lansing are now delayed […]
UCLA Professor: Project Labor Agreements Bad for Economy
UCLA economics professor Lee O’Hanian writes July 8 in the Wall Street Journal that “recent decisions by President Obama and his administration to increase unionization are steps in the wrong direction” to achieve economic recovery in America: These steps include executive orders that increase union bargaining power, including one that gave preference to union labor on […]
Elmer: Obama Administration Kicking Construction When it’s Down
In an must-read op-ed penned by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) National Chairman Jim Elmer of Spokane, WA for The Seattle Times (“Obama Administration Kicking Construction When it’s Down,” 7/5/10), Elmer lays out the chilling, job-killing impact that the Obama administration’s pro-Big Labor policies are having on main street construction firms. Here are the highlights […]
Baltimore Contractor: “We’d Have to Shut Our Doors”
Big Labor and their allies on the Baltimore City Council have introduced their legislation to require community partnership agreements (Wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements by another name) on construction projects with over $5 million in city support. Numerous contractors and their employees marched on City Hall yesterday to protest the introduction of this bill. […]
Rendell Administration Love Affair With Big Labor Stalls Prison Construction Projects and Slows Job Growth for Pennsylvanians
There is renewed interest in the delayed construction of over $800 million worth of prison construction in Pennsylvania. As regular readers of TheTruthAboutPLAs.com remember, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) promised the Pennsylvania construction unions in 2008 that the Department of General Services (DGS) would require contractors to sign wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) in […]
Erie County Executive Chris Collins Rebukes County Legislators For Catering to Big Labor
In his March 11 State of the County Address, Erie County, NY Executive Chris Collins calls out county legislators for putting Big Labor’s interest ahead of job creation. Here’s an excerpt: Erie County also continues to come up with creative solutions to some of our local economic development problems caused by New York State. Because […]
San Diego Continues Paying Price for Job-Killing PLAs
A March 1 San Diego Daily Transcript Op-Ed by Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction’s (CFEC) Eric Christen slams wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreements (PLAs) for their negative impact on job growth. Here are the highlights (Links added): Unemployment stands at 12.4 percent. The state is facing un-ending multi-billion dollar deficits. The city of […]