Taxpayer Bailout of Multiemployer Pension Plans and Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements
On March 11, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319) into law, including a controversial provision providing a Congressional Budget Office-estimated $86 billion taxpayer bailout of struggling multiemployer pension plans. The COVID-19 relief bill’s sudden bailout of some MEPPs has been disheartening to some small businesses and firms not affiliated […]
Op-Ed: Build Back Better U.S. Infrastructure with Fair and Open Competition, Free From Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
The Washington Times published this March 16 op-ed expressing concerns about the expansion of government-mandated project labor agreement policy on taxpayer-funded federal and federally assisted construction projects. Build back better U.S. infrastructure with fair and open competition Taxpayers must hold lawmakers accountable for delivering cost-effective infrastructure projects that will last. Americans are in strong bipartisan […]
Setting the Record Straight: Do Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements Really Improve Safety Performance?
Supporters of government-mandated project labor agreements often claim these controversial schemes ensure the safe delivery of construction projects, and therefore, it’s in the public interest for lawmakers to mandate PLAs on construction projects funded by hardworking taxpayers, resulting in reduced competition from local firms, increased construction costs by 12% to 20%, and fewer local construction […]
Coalition To President Biden: Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Reduce Competition, Raise Costs on Taxpayer-Funded Construction
On March 5, ABC and a coalition of 14 industry and employer groups sent a letter to President Biden raising concerns about the expansion of policies encouraging or mandating project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted construction projects. ABC and the coalition are monitoring Biden administration executive actions, federal agency policies and legislation introduced in the 117th Congress that […]
Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Failures on Federal and Federally Assisted Construction Projects
ABC supports fair and open competition and opposes government-mandated project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted projects because hardworking taxpayers deserve more efficient and effective policies that will encourage all qualified contractors and their skilled workforce to compete to build long-lasting, quality projects at the best price. Just 12.7% of the U.S. construction workforce belongs […]
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 […]
USACE Omaha District Issues PLA Survey Due 3.9
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Omaha District has issued a survey soliciting comments from the construction industry about the potential use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) for a project on Offutt Air Force Base in Sarpy County, Nebraska. ABC National encourages the merit shop contracting community to respond to this PLA survey. Tell USACE […]
Diverse Coalition Supports Fair and Open Competition Legislation, Opposes Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
ABC and a diverse coalition of 17 construction industry and business associations sent a letter to the U.S. House and Senate in strong support of the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1284/S. 403), which was introduced Feb. 24 by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.). An ABC Feb. 24 ABC press release applauded the introduction […]
ABC Applauds Bill to Increase Fair and Open Competition on Taxpayer-Funded Construction Contracts
ABC issued a Feb. 24 press release in support of the Fair and Open Competition Act. ABC Applauds Bill to Increase Fair and Open Competition on Taxpayer-funded Construction Contracts WASHINGTON, Feb. 24—Associated Builders and Contractors today voiced its strong support for the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1284/S. 403), which was introduced today by […]
U.S. DOT Promotes Government-mandated Project Labor Agreements in Infrastructure Grant Program
In a concerning development for the merit shop contracting community and hardworking taxpayers, the U.S. Department of Transportation is encouraging the use of government-mandated project labor agreements on federally assisted construction projects funded through a grant program administered by the DOT’s Build America Bureau. On Feb. 17, the DOT announced it is seeking applicants for […]