Study

Nonunion Workers Suffer Up to 34% in Wage Theft Under Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements

0 October 22, 2021  Featured, Federal Construction

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22—Associated Builders and Contractors today calls attention to a new report that highlights the negative economic impact of controversial government-mandated project labor agreements on nonunion construction workers, who comprise 87.3% of the construction industry workforce. The study found that the limited number of nonunion craft professionals permitted to work on construction projects subject […]

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Study: Project Labor Agreement Mandates Inflate Cost of New Jersey School Construction by 16.25%

0 October 2, 2019  Federal Construction, Open Competition Works, School Construction, State & Local Construction

A study released in August by the Beacon Hill Institute found that New Jersey schools built under controversial government-mandated project labor agreements cost 16.25% more than schools that were bid and constructed through fair and open competition, free from PLA requirements. The study, which looked at 107 schools built in New Jersey since 2002, found that those built under […]

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Project Labor Agreements Raise Costs on Ohio Schools 13 Percent, Study Finds

0 May 25, 2017  Open Competition Works, School Construction, State & Local Construction

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 […]

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The Truth About Project Labor Agreement Research

0 May 1, 2014  Open Competition Works

Lobbyists calling for the increased use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) have been referencing work by Kotler, Phillips, Belman, Bodah and Le that is critical of quantitative research that demonstrates the negative impact of anti-competitive PLA requirements on construction costs and taxpayers. These attacks, which have been referenced and discussed in inaccurate and biased PLA feasibility studies produced by Hill […]

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Keystone Research Center Studies Promoting Pennsylvania Project Labor Agreements Can’t Be Trusted

1 February 23, 2014  Featured, School Construction, State & Local Construction

Proponents of discriminatory and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) have concocted some wild schemes to help misguided and corrupt lawmakers steer taxpayer-funded contracts to their union workers and unionized contractor political supporters with little competition and public scrutiny, but this latest caper from Bristol Township, Pa., is remarkable and deserves to be exposed. In August 2013, when […]

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Who Is Hill International and Why Does It Promote Government-Mandated PLAs?

1 July 19, 2012  Federal Construction, School Construction, State & Local Construction

Who is Hill International and why does it consistently support and promote anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs)? In short, Hill International is a corporate PLA pimp. Read on to learn why this isn’t hyperbole. Many local, state and federal entities in charge of taxpayer-funded construction contracts are required by law or directed […]

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Reduced Competition Increases Costs

2 December 7, 2011  Open Competition Works

One fundamental economic principle is rarely wrong: Reduced competition increases costs. It is a fairly intuitive premise.  Unfortunately, some government officials (often controlled by special interests) fail to grasp this basic economic concept. They often unwittingly—or even worse, knowingly—implement policies that unfairly cater to special interests or address both legitimate and erroneous public policy concerns at the […]

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Big Labor’s Job Targeting & Market Recovery Schemes: They Can’t Compete, So They Cheat

11 April 4, 2011  Federal Construction, Uncategorized

Merit shop contractors and their skilled employees have a lot to worry about in today’s marketplace with the construction industry’s 20 percent unemployment rate, a slow economy, cut-throat competition, and reduced bank lending to businesses interested in purchasing construction services to grow their business and create jobs. Surviving these tough market conditions is even more difficult thanks to anti-competitive and […]

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More Evidence Shows Project Labor Agreements Injure Competition

1 January 20, 2011  Federal Construction, Uncategorized

On Jan. 19, 2011, 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 Jan. 26, 2011 and readers were asked to respond to this question:  ‘”Would you be more likely or less likely […]

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