GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

ABC strongly opposes union-only project labor agreements (PLAs) on public construction projects.

Union-only PLAs drive up the cost of construction by reducing competition for the work and effectively exclude merit shop contractors from working on projects paid for by their own tax dollars.

A union-only PLA is a contract that requires that the project be awarded only to contractors and subcontractors who agree to:

• recognize unions as the representatives of their employees on that job
• use the union hiring hall to obtain workers
• obtain apprentices exclusively from union apprenticeship programs  
• pay into underfunded and mismanaged union benefit plans 
• obey costly, restrictive and inefficient union work rules

Click hear to learn more information about why ABC opposes union-only PLAs

Please visit ABC's new blog about PLAs: www.TheTruthAboutPLAs.com 

President Barack Obama Repeals Executive Order Prohibiting Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on Federal and Federally Funded Construction

On February 6, 2009, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13502, which repeals Executive Order 13202 and encourages federal agencies to require PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects in excess of $25 million.  Executive Order 13202 prohibited federal agencies and recipients of federal financial assistance from requiring wasteful and discriminatory union-only PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects. Construction contracts subject to union-only PLAs are almost always awarded to unionized contractors and their all-union workforces.

• ABC Press Release on Executive Order 13202's Repeal
• Obama Executive Order 13502, "Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects" (Feb. 6, 2009) 
• ABC Analysis of Obama Executive Order 13502
• ABC Letter (Feb. 6) to U.S. Senate Regarding PLA Executive Order and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1)
• RNC Chairman Michael Steele's Statement on Obama's Pro-Union Executive Order (Feb. 7)

 
Between 2001 and 2008, Executive Order 13202 ensured that at least $147.1 billion worth of federal construction projects was bid without discriminatory and wasteful government mandated PLAs.  The actual value of construction projects protected by Executive Order 13202 is exponentially larger, as the above figure does not include local construction spending from 2001-2008 that received federal funding or assistance that was protected by Executive Order 13202.  It is estimated that free and open competition saved American taxpayers between 10 percent and 20 percent on federal construction spending and provided women, minorities and other qualified craft professionals the opportunity to work in their communities.
 

Open Competition Legislation Concerning Federal or Federally Funded or Assisted Construction - 111th Congress

ABC Congressional Issue Brief on Union-Only Project Labor Agreements (Feb. 13)

The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (S.90/H.R. 983), introduced Jan. 6 by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA.) and Feb. 11 by Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.), would prohibit federal agencies from requiring costly and discriminatory government mandated PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects. This legislation essentially codifies into law President Bush's Feb. 17, 2001 Executive Order 13202. ABC stongly supports this legislation.

Contact your senators and representative to co-sponsor the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (S.90/H.R. 983) via ABC's Grassroots Action Center.

Documents and links of interest concerning the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act.

• Open Competition Coalition Letter of Support for the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (H.R. 983) (Feb. 13)
• ABC Letter of Support for the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (H.R. 983) (Feb. 13)
• Congressman Sullivan on Fox News discussing H.R. 983 and Obama E.O. 13502 (Feb. 12)
• ABC News Release in Support of H.R. 983 (Feb. 11)
• ABC News Release in Support of S. 90 (Jan. 14)
• Open Competition Coalition Letter (Jan. 16) Supporting "The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act"
• Sen. Vitter Offers Open Competition Bill (S. 90) as an Amendment (S.A. 34) to the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (Amendment Language)
• Sen. Vitter Floor Statement Supporting Open Competition Amendment (Jan. 22)
• ABC "Key Vote" Letter Supporting Open Competition Amendment (S.A. 34) to the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (Jan. 21)
• Open Competition Coalition Letter Supporting Open Competition Amendment to Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (Jan. 21)

Passage of the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (S.90/H.R. 983) will protect federal and federally assisted construction projects from costly and discriminatory government mandated PLAs and is a legislative priority for ABC.

Federal and State Legislative and Executive PLA Activity

Learn more about Federal and State PLA Activities by clicking this link

Additional Resources 

Learn more about union-only PLAs including why ABC opposes these discriminatory and costly agreements. ABC National has many resources to educate ABC members, elected officials, construction owners and the public about the negative impacts of union-only PLAs on your community. Resources include studies, sample public relations materials and information about Executive Order 13202 which prohibits PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects.

• Learn why ABC is opposed to union-only PLAs and how they impact contractors and their workforce
• Union-only PLA studies
• Congressional testimony, U.S. newspaper editorials and other information about union-only PLAs
• Executive Order 13202

What Can You Do To Fight Union-Only PLAs?

The Strategic Guide to Defeating Union-Only PLAs includes background information, outlines the arguments for and against union-only PLAs, and explains how you can fight back. The Appendix section provides several important resources such as Construction Legal Rights Foundation (CLRF) applications, model legislation, talking points, and sample public relations materials. You can also access sample public relations materials here. Contact the ABC Government Affairs Director of Labor and State Affairs at plainfo@abc.org.

Issue Advocacy

The Construction Legal Rights Foundation (CLRF) assists chapters by providing matching funds for public campaigns against (or related to) union-only project labor agreements (PLAs). The CLRF Trustees will: (1) determine the relative priority of those PLA-related matters; (2) assess the probability of "favorable" results through issue advocacy; and (3) support those actions with the greatest weight given to those with the highest probability of favorable outcome. Visit Resources in the Chapter/Staff Login area for access to the Issue Advocacy Application or contact your local chapter.