Author Archives: BenBrubeck

Baltimore to Review Project Labor Agreement Law

The Baltimore Sun reported that legislation has been introduced before the Baltimore City Council that would require project labor agreements (PLAs) on city projects greater than $5 million (”Union laborers would be first in line for city projects under new bill,” 3/8/10).
It is no surprise that the bill is being misrepresented by Big Labor lobbyists such as Jayson [...]

Do PLAs Reward Special Interests?

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has long maintained that government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) are one of the purest forms of payback to special interests. Sometimes it is hard to believe that PLAs are even legal. And as this example will demonstrate, elected officials go to great lengths to justify their paybacks to special interests.
Matthew J. Brouillette, president and [...]

Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO President Argues McDonalds Employees Only Earn $50 an Hour

A quote in a recent Washington Business Journal article indicates that Joslyn Williams, president of the AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Council, believes McDonald’s employees earn $50 an hour (”Bill heats up battle over required use of union labor,” 2/28/10).
“The city has to decide whether it wants people working on its construction projects to earn only ‘McDonald’s wages,’” said Joslyn Williams, president [...]

Poll: MA Public Opposes Key Mandate of PLAs

According to a press release by the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University, in Boston Mass., a new poll of Massachusetts voters indicates the public opposes a key provision of typical PLAs.
A new survey conducted by the Suffolk University Political Research Center for the Beacon Hill Institute shows that 69% of Massachusetts voters oppose a requirement [...]

Delays and Increased Construction Costs Plague PA Prison

Pennsylvania’s Graterford Prison project labor agreement (PLA) controversy is in the Philadelphia newspapers again. No progress has been made on the construction of this important project.
Looking for something to blame?
It’s the PLA, stupid!
Looking for someone to blame?
Blame Big Labor’s lobbyists for pushing costly, job-killing special interest PLAs and blame public officials for allowing these backroom kickback schemes to [...]

White House’s Middle Class Task Force 2010 Report Mentions Project Labor Agreements

The construction industry is still waiting for the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council to issue a final rule on regulations that promote project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects exceeding $25 million, as directed by President Obama’s Feb. 6, 2009 Executive Order 13502.
After months of intense opposition and no comment from the White House or action by federal regulators, [...]

Waterbury PLA Schools Continue Record of Poor Performance

The Waterbury Republican American reported on 2/24/10 that two CT schools recently constructed under project labor agreements (PLAs) have suffered cost overruns, construction defects and missed construction deadlines.
CONSTRUCTION CONTRAST: Item: The $20.5 million Rotella Interdistrict Magnet School was finished late and came in 10 percent over budget. Today, it’s leaky, the climate-control system is faulty, the [...]

A Bridge to Albany’s Spoils System?

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com has followed the Lake Champlain Bridge project labor agreement (PLA) controversy closely (”Update on Lake Champlain Bridge Project Labor Agreement Controversy,” 2/27 and “A Bridge to Government Waste and Discrimination,” 2/16).
The Plattsburgh, N.Y. Press Republican published an Op-Ed today opposing the Lake Champlain Bridge PLA by Becky Meinking, president of ABC Empire State (”Spoils system [...]

Update on Lake Champlain Bridge Project Labor Agreement Controversy

TheTruthAboutPLAs.com covered the controversial proposed project labor agreement (PLA) on the Lake Champlain Bridge project spanning from Crown Point, N.Y. to Chimney Point, N.H. (”A Bridge to Government Waste and Discrimation,” 2/16). Here is an update for readers following this story.
On Feb. 12 the Vermont Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing on the Lake Champlain Bridge PLA [...]

PLAs Help Increase Construction Union Membership

The Daily Caller published an opinion piece today by Brett McMahon, vice president of Miller & Long, a concrete construction subcontractor, based in Bethesda, Md., and a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors (”State of the unions: Not good,” 2/26/10) that discusses how Big Labor is turning to their political chums to implement policies that [...]

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