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 […]
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 […]
ABC California Critical of California High Speed Rail’s Union-Favoring Project Labor Agreement
At yesterday’s United States House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials field hearing in Madera, California, on the federally assisted California High Speed Rail project, ABC California submitted a statement for the record and issued a press release in opposition to the union-favoring project labor agreement (PLA) required by the California High Speed […]
PLA Video: The Negative Impact of a PLA Mandate on the Proposed California High-Speed Rail Project
Merit shop advocate Eric Christen from the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction (CFEC) lays out the facts to LA-area Fox affiliate KKTV about the negative impact of a PLA mandated on the proposed high-speed rail project in California.
Done Deal: Unions Will Control Construction on California High-Speed Rail with Project Labor Agreements
An article in the December 7, 2012 Fresno Bee newspaper (‘Needy’ Workers Will Get Jobs on High-Speed Rail) reports that all five design-build consortiums that are pre-qualified to bid on contracts for the first segment of California’s High-Speed Rail have signed a Project Labor Agreements (PLA) with construction trade unions: Five teams of contractors have been invited to […]
A Project Labor Agreement Reduced Competition and Increased Costs on the Wilson Bridge
The D.C. Council is considering legislation, the District Resident Employment and Trade Stimulus Act of 2010 (Bill 18-650), that would mandate project labor agreements (PLAs) on all government-assisted projects costing more than $200,000 in Washington, D.C. Yesterday’s blog post discussed a report about the failed record of government-mandated PLAs in Washington, D.C., “The Problem with PLAs […]
Executive Order No. 13502 Does Not Require Any State or Local Government To Impose Union-Only Project Labor Agreements On Construction Projects Built With Federal Assistance
This post addresses the question of whether President Obama’s Executive Order No 13502 (Feb. 6, 2009) requires state or local governments to impose union-only project labor agreements (PLAs) on construction projects built with federal assistance. As further explained below, the Executive Order is quite clear on this point: Nothing in the Executive Order requires any […]