A Win For Taxpayers and Free Enterprise: Wisconsin Is 23rd State to Pass Law Restricting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
On April 17, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed SB 3 into law, which promotes fair and open competition on contracts for construction services funded by Wisconsin taxpayers. The “Project Labor Agreement Neutrality Bill” now known as Act 10 prohibits the government from mandating controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, state-assisted and local construction projects […]
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 […]
Iowa Law Restricts Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements, Protects Hawkeye State Construction Industry
On April 13, Gov. Terry Branstad (R-Iowa) signed SF 438 into law, which promotes fair and open competition on contracts for construction services funded by Iowa taxpayers. The measure will ensure that the government cannot mandate controversial project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, state-assisted and local construction projects, guaranteeing that the 85 percent of Iowa’s […]
House Committee Passes Fair and Open Competition Act Targeting Federal Project Labor Agreement Mandates
This week the merit shop contracting community hit an important legislative milestone in its campaign for fair and open competition in government contracting. ABC issued a press release Tuesday applauding the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for favorably reporting out of committee the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1552), introduced in the 115th Congress by […]
Coalition to House: Champion Bill Reforming Unfair Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Schemes
A diverse coalition of construction industry associations and employer groups sent a letter to the United States House of Representatives March 16 opposing government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) and anti-competitive PLA preferences used by federal agencies as a result of President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 and related regulations. The letter asks House members to cosponsor the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1552), […]
Coalition to Senate: Cosponsor Bill Restricting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
A diverse coalition of construction industry associations and employer groups sent a letter to the United States Senate March 14 opposing government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) and anti-competitive PLA preferences used by federal agencies as a result of President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 and related regulations. The letter asks Senators to cosponsor the Fair and Open Competition Act (S. 622), introduced in the 115thCongress […]
ABC Backs Bill Targeting Costly Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Schemes
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) issued a press release in support of Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-Ariz.) Fair and Open Competition Act (FOCA) (S. 622). As described in the press release below and in Senator Flake’s press release, S. 622 will prohibit federal agencies and recipients of federal funding from mandating project labor agreements (PLAs) or using PLA preferences during […]
Obama’s Pro-Project Labor Agreement Executive Order Promotes Waste on Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. Rescind it.
The media has reported that the White House has compiled a list of about 50 infrastructure spending projects totaling at least $137.5 billion as a first step in following through on President Trump’s campaign promise to renew America’s crumbling highways, airports, dams and bridges. A preliminary list of infrastructure investment priorities provided by the Trump […]