Victory in Idaho: Appeals Court Upholds Idaho Law Protecting Fair and Open Competition on Public Construction Projects
Big news out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit: Idaho’s law restricting state agencies or political subdivisions from requiring contractors to enter into project labor agreements (PLAs) as a condition of performing public work stands. There are no legal challenges against any of the enacted 23 state anti-PLA mandate laws or executive […]
Fallout from Major Circuit Court Win Continues
The fallout from last week’s critical decision by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit continues to make an impact. The ruling is already changing the procurement of publicly funded construction projects. After a federal district court judge enjoined the second project labor agreement (PLA) reform law in November 2012, a number […]
BREAKING: 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds MI Ban on Government-mandated PLAs
In a huge win for taxpayers and the merit shop construction community, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit overturned a lower court ruling and upheld the Michigan’s right to ban government-mandated PLAs on taxpayer funded construction projects. Here is a joint press release issued by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and […]
ABC Michigan Urges Federal Appeals Court to Uphold Michigan Fair and Open Competition Law
Michigan Gov. Snyder’s office has appealed both of the district court’s rulings against Michigan’s anti-PLA mandate laws to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. ABC and ABC of Michigan have submitted an amicus brief in support of the Governor’s appeal, joined by the National Federation of Independent Business and National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
Michigan Again Bans PLA Mandates on Taxpayer-Funded Construction
Determined to ensure that taxpayers get the best construction at the best price, Michigan’s elected leaders have again enacted legislation (Public Act 238) that will ensure government neutrality with regard to project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayer-funded construction in the Great Lakes state. Although Michigan adopted a similar bill in 2011, a federal district court […]
Idaho Legislature Shows Commitment to Taxpayer Value; Rejects Federal District Court’s Decision
Last week, Idaho Gov. Butch Otter (R) signed S.B. 1337, which is the legislature’s second attempt to ban wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement (PLA) mandates on taxpayer-funded construction. The prior piece of legislation (S.B. 1006 of 2011) Gov. Otter signed on March 3, 2011 to ban these taxpayer-funded handouts was invalidated in December 2011 […]
Virginia Construction Industry Supports Legislation Ensuring Fair and Open Competition On Public Construction Contracts
Yesterday, ABC Virginia issued a press release supporting the Fair and Open Competition in Government Contracting Act (HB 33) pre-filed this Monday in Richmond (see the full release below). HB 33 prohibits Virginia and recipients of state funding or assistance from requiring or prohibiting contractors to enter into union agreements, such as a project labor agreement (PLA), as […]
MI Open Competition Act Protecting Taxpayers and Merit Shop Construction Workers
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed S.B.165 on July 19 and it is already having an impact for taxpayers and the vast majority of the construction workforce that chooses not to join a labor union. This week, Wayne State University cancelled an RFP for the renovation of a softball locker room that contained a requirement that […]
BREAKING: MI Gov. Snyder Signs Bill to Ban Government-mandated PLAs
Gov. Rick Snyder (R) has signed Michigan S.B. 165, which will prohibit the use of wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on state, local, university and state assisted construction in Michigan. This will have serious implications in places like Ann Arbor, Detroit, Macomb County and Michigan State University, where past PLA requirements have […]
WSJ Editorial: Government-mandated PLAs “Deserve to be Outlawed”
The title says it all and we completely agree! The editorial board at The Wall Street Journal has again come out against wasteful and discriminatory government-mandated PLAs. Here are the highlights from the editorial (“Project Labor Revolt: The states ban union political bid-rigging. Obama demurs,” 7/19/11): One benefit of the squeeze on state and local […]