The Truth About Project Labor Agreement Research
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 […]
Keystone Research Center Studies Promoting Pennsylvania Project Labor Agreements Can’t Be Trusted
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 […]
Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements Harm Union Contractors and Tradespeople
The debate surrounding government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) is often framed by the media and elected officials as a dispute pitting union signatory contractors and their union employees against nonunion contractors and their nonunion employees. However, a recent lawsuit attacking government-mandated PLAs on $6 billion worth of taxpayer-funded infrastructure projects through 2014 in New York City sheds light on unsung victims of these controversial, anti-competitive and costly special interest handouts that deny hardworking taxpayers the accountability they deserve from government contracts: Union contractors and some construction trade union members.
Op-Ed: State’s Union-Friendly Deals Unfair, Too Costly
In an op-ed published in the June 19 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette titled, “State’s Union-Friendly Deals Unfair, too Costly,” Stephen R. Campbell and Vicki Craft Kearns present a well-written overview of the project labor agreement (PLA) issue in Pennsylvania and nationwide. The op-ed also does an excellent job laying out how Big Labor’s support […]
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 […]
It’s the PLA, Stupid!
Penn State’s student run newspaper, The Daily Collegian, reports that the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) has started the rebidding process for the $200 million State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Benner Township in Centre County, PA after costs from the initial round of bidding came in too high (“Prison construction bidding to resume,” 8/26). Despite predictions by politicians (specifically […]
Graterford Prison PLA Confirmed
The Bulletin is reporting and www.thetruthaboutPLAs.com sources confirmed that the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) will require a wasteful and discriminatory union-only PLA on the Graterford prison reconstruction project in Montgomery County, PA. This $400 million project is one of at least six upcoming prison reconstruction/renovation projects in Pennsylvania. The price tag for all six projects is expected to […]
PA Government Cronyism Continues with Rockview Jail PLA
Here is an interesting update (and documentation of government corruption and cronyism) on the State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Benner Township (commonly called the Rockview prison project), which is one of a series of approximately $830 million in jail construction projects the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) is putting out to bid that may […]
PA Senator Fights Rockview Prison PLA
Pennsylvania is building a series of jails around the Commonwealth and construction unions are lobbying hard to ensure discriminatory and costly PLAs on each jail. These sweetheart deals for Big Labor will funnel lucrative state construction contracts directly to unionized contractors and their union workforce with little to no competition from non-union contractors and the more than eight out […]
Big Labor’s Propaganda Machine to Decide Fate of Project Labor Agreements on PA Jail Construction
On 5/19 we wrote about the implementation of costly and discriminatory PLAs on approximately $830 million worth of construction for six new Pennsylvania prisons depends on the findings of an ongoing PLA feasibility “study” conducted by a union propoganda machine research firm with deep ties to Big Labor – the Harrisburg-based Keystone Research Center (KRC). (Note the KRC Board […]