Although the
Employee Free Choice Act has (thankfully) not become law yet, some workers – including those in New Hampshire – are already getting a taste of the act’s damaging effects, courtesy of federal Project Labor Agreements.
Project Labor Agreements were mostly banned during the Bush administration because of concerns that they drove up federal contracting costs while discriminating against potential bidders. These agreements remain popular among backers of EFCA and have been revived by President Obama. The Washington Times reports on the latest PLA here:
“Mr. Obama issued an executive order in the first weeks of his presidency that would make the requirement, known as a ‘project labor agreement’ or PLA, the norm for all government contracts on large-scale construction jobs. The order is under review and a final rule is not expected for months, but that did not stop the Labor Department from rushing to use a PLA to build its new Job Corps Center in Manchester, N.H.
“The PLA executive order replaced a Bush administration order that discouraged the use of such agreements.
“It was one in a series of early policy moves by Mr. Obama that has dramatically improved the unions' fortunes, though the president has not delivered on labor's top legislative priority, the so-called ‘card-check’ bill that would make it easier to organize workplaces.
“Critics say imposing the union-friendly rules on the New Hampshire job - the first federal construction contract with such stipulations since President Clinton was in office - will drive up costs, delay the project and force most of the workers to pay union dues and pension contributions for which they likely will never receive benefits.
“North Branch Construction, a Concord, N.H.-based general contractor and member of the business group Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), filed a bid protest this week with the Government Accountability Office, claiming the PLA ‘unduly restricts competition.’
“‘PLAs are special-interest handouts that deny taxpayers the accountability they deserve from government contracts,’ said Ken Holmes, president of North Branch Construction.”
Miller, “Obama puts union strings on federal jobs,” The Washington Times, 10.07.09
No accountability. Workers forced to pay for union benefits that they might not have asked for. Restricts competition. Special interest handout. This sounds a lot like the Employee Free Choice Act – and it’s not even a law yet. Looks like EFCA may have more than one (equally) evil twin.
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