Tell Governor Chris Christie To Veto Expansion If Project Labor Agreements

Urge Gov. Christie to Oppose Project Labor Agreements (PLA's) on Hurricane Sandy Relief Projects. PLA's mandate union only labor on public and private projects reducing fair market competition by 80%. A bill currently on Governor Christie’s desk would expand project labor agreements (PLAs) to bridges, roads, and water and sewer treatment plants that were damaged in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

PLA's have been proven to add an additional 30% to the cost of Public and private construction. This is particularly troubling with the limited amount of funding to go around to make the repairs caused by Super Storm Sandy. PLA's will cause a funding shortfall that could leave some areas in ruins or at the very least cause long delays in repairs until an increase in taxpayer funding can be secured. 

The Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) National Association (www.ieci.org) and New Jersey-IEC (www.nj-iec.org) have established a quick and easy way for you to voice your opposition to this Legislation to the Governor. Please personalize the email to your company. For example, where you are located, how many employees, how long you have been in business, etc. 

Special thanks to IEC VP of Government Affairs Alexis Moch for facilitating this easy way for anyone to make their voice heard. 

Click Here to log in and send your message: 

Follow NJECPAC on Twitter ~ Facebook ~ YouTube ~ LinkedIn 

Explore More at NJECPAC ~ Visit IECVotes.com

Explore National Regulatory Affairs Here ~ Explore National Government Affairs Here 

Explore New Jersey Government Affairs Here 

IEC Member Continues Fight Against PLA'S In Connecticut

On January 17, 2012, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in agreement with IEC New England member Electrical Contractors Inc. (ECI) stating they have the right to challenge the project labor agreements (PLA) of two area public schools. ECI now has standing to sue the City of Hartford for the use of PLAs.

“We were excited for the result of the ruling and the impact for the merit shop industry moving forward,” said Jim Nasuta of ECI. “It’s been a long and stressful fight but we feel we are close to the end. While the case is ECI vs. the city of Hartford, this outcome is much bigger than just us. This result could have a potential impact around the country.”

The case began when ECI successfully bid on two construction projects for schools in Hartford, Connecticut. The company was then asked to sign a PLA, which they refused stating that they would use their own workers and should not be forced to use union labor. Read More

The case now moves back to the local courts with ECI having the grounds to sue the City of Hartford. “The next step is to go back and try to win this case in the local court system,” Nasuta continued. “This has been a financial strain on our company. The case needs to be finished and if there was ever a time when we need support, it is right now!”

IEC National Government Affairs Chairman Joseph Hovanec said "This case can set a national precedent for PLAs on public projects. Project Labor Agreements PLAs are an issue that effects every Merit Shop Electrical contractor in the country. As you can imagine their fight has had a heavy financial toll on ECI's business, but they are determined to see this through for the good of the Merit Shop Industry. I highly encourage anyone that has been effected or may be effected by a PLA to do what you can to help Jim and ECI with their fight.

If you would like to offer support in this case, please contact Jim Nasuta at (860) 549-2822.  

  Follow NJECPAC on Twitter,  Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn 

Explore More at NJECPAC

Congress Holds Hearing On Discriminatory Use Of PLA's In Public Construction

IEC National Past President
John Biagas, Bay Electric

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending recently held a hearing on the use of PLA's in Public Construction.

The hearing was appropriately titled The Cost Of Doing Business In The Construction Industry and was held on March 16th 2011

IEC Member John Ennis,
Ennis Electric Co.


IEC Members John F. Biagas, CEO of Bay Electric, Newport News, Va., and John Ennis, Jr., CEO of Ennis Electric Company, Inc., Manassas, Va Testified before Congress against the Use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA's) on Public Construction Projects.

The revealing video of their testimony can be Viewed Here 

Join NJECPAC On Twitter, Facebook Youtube

Explore More at NJECPAC

Open Competition Bill Introduced in Senate

Senator David Vitter

As the Republican-led House continues to seek out wasteful Government spending and Regulations, the fight against union only project labor agreements (PLAs) has heated up again.

In the Senate, Senator David Vitter (R-La.) introduced the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (S.119) on Jan. 25, 2011. These bills would prohibit the federal government from requiring PLAs on federal and federally-assisted projects. The legislation essentially codifies into law President Bush’s anti-PLA Executive Orders 13202 and 13208, which were repealed when President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 in February 2009.

Congressman John Sullivan

Congressman John Sullivan (R-Okla.) is expected to introduce the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act later this month.

The Obama Administration published, the Final Rule implementing his Executive Order 13502, encouraging and authorizing the use of union-only PLAs on federal construction projects.

Union-only PLAs restrict competition by requiring that a contract be awarded only to companies who agree to collective bargaining and union hiring. Union-only PLAs discriminates against upwards of 80% of the construction workforce nationwide by effectively banning them from the opportunity to work on federally-funded projects. To read the entire Rule, please Click Here. 

If Jobs are the priority the Democrats in the House and Senate they should be eager to pass this legislation that would even the playing field and Obama should be more than eager to sign it. We do not recomend anyone hold their breath waiting for that.   

Explore More at NJECPAC

Project Labor Agreements (PLA) Waste Taxpayer $$$

Associated Builders and Contractors have successfully blocked a mandatory federal project labor agreement from the bidding process for a project at an Armed Forces Reserve center in Camden, New Jersey.

In response to a bid protest filed with the Government Accountability Office by Wu & Associates, Inc. with support and representation from the Associated Builders and Contractors, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers eliminated a bid requirement that would have limited the pool of bidders to contractors willing to sign onto a project mandating Obama's controversial Federal Project Labor Agreement (PLA).

“Our company and other quality New Jersey businesses deserve a fair opportunity to provide the public with the best construction product at the best price,” said Wu and Associates President Kirby Wu, AIA, in a written press statement from ABC. “The wasteful and discriminatory project labor agreement would have cut competition from qualified merit shop contractors and their skilled employees. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision is a real win for all taxpayers, as well as for the people of New Jersey.”

Executive Order Authorizing PLA's

Read More on Project Labor Agreements

Project Labor Agreements (PLA) Rob Taxpayers

I recently read an article on the new Mayor of Bayonne Mark Smith. His arbitrary and false comments in his Inauguration Speach on Project Labor Agreements are worth noting.  "When it comes to the rights of working men and women, we have not compromised. We support the right of workers to organize. We support project labor agreements. And we believe that fully qualified, fully trained union labor makes projects better and safer, on budget and on time. We support organized labor and we believe that when people make a living wage, they build stronger families, and make better citizens which ultimately makes for a better Bayonne."

His statement is to say that Projects (pictured) built by fully qualified, fully trained Merit Shop labor somehow do not make projects better and safer, and do not bring project in on budget and on time which is a naive and ridiculous statement at best. He also uses the term living wage which is an arbitrary term created by unions and adopted by Democrat Politicians and used freely as if it is a definable term.  

Favoritism for a small group of workers at the expense of the vast majority of workers is wrong and costly to the taxpaying public. The indisputable truth is when you reduce competition you increase costs.

The farce is that PLA's promote labor peace by barring workers from striking, HELLO! Merit shop workers don’t go on strike and they do not promote violence. So why is there a need for a provision for labor peace? Or could it be that union workers have a reputation for promoting violence when they price themselves out of a project and that project is then awarded to a Merit Shop Contractor.

Project Labor agreements violate the rights of the vast majority of fully qualified, fully trained Merit Shop construction workers who build upwards of 80% of all construction projects in the state of New Jersey. Merit Shop Contractors and their employees represent the vast majority, all of whom pay taxes and contribute to society.  They Choose not to belong to a union, and because they choose not to belong to a union they are banned from working on a project burdened by a Project Labor Agreement that their taxes are paying for.

PLA projects do not cost more merely because of the wage that is paid. Wages are rarely an issue. They cost more because of the antiquated union work rules, reduced productivity by union labor vs Merit Shop labor, and the egregious benefit packages that are forced to be paid on these projects resulting in an increased cost of between 30% and 50% to taxpayers.

 

A reasonable benefit package including Health Care, Retirement Plan, Vacation, Paid Holidays and more cost an employer between $10 and $20 per hour, yet the union benefit rate imposed on Project Labor Agreements and also mandated by the States Prevailing Wage is upwards of $36.00 per hour with no justification of what the difference represents.  

 
Read More on Project Labor Agreements