One of the discussion points in the coming discussion regarding the proposed Right to Work legislation in the State of Indiana will revolve around the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) in public works projects. There are many studies out there with both pros and cons and the City County Observer will be posting many of those and even case studies for the purpose of educating our readers on this subject.

A PLA was signed and adhered to in the construction of the Ford Center and is believed to be in place for the recently announced $50 Million project between the City of Evansville and Johnson Controls. A PLA is also a requirement for the eventual builder of any downtown Convention Hotel.

The executive summary of the study on the link at the bottom of the story follows.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Based on an extensive analysis of the literature, legal opinions, and Congressional testimony on the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) on public construction projects, as well as interviews with proponents and opponents of their use, the Research Bureau makes the following observations:

• Project Labor Agreements, which are prehire collective bargaining agreements setting the terms of employment on an entire construction project, have been increasingly pursued by unions working on public projects since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld their legality under Federal law in the Boston Harbor case (1993).

• PLA’s are not needed to secure “fair” wages to workers on public projects, since such wages are already guaranteed under “prevailing wage” statutes in Massachusetts and other states.

• The chief benefit that PLA’s on public projects offer to the public is a guarantee of labor harmony, i.e., a pledge to avoid strikes and speedily resolve interunion disputes during the course of the project (Occasionally, however, such pledges have been violated.)

• The guarantee of labor peace is evidently purchased at the price of reducing the opportunity for nonunion contractors to compete for work on a project, since even if they should be awarded such work, the contractors are then compelled to operate under union rules governing such matters as staffing requirements that undermine the economies that might ordinarily give such contractors an advantage. Thus PLA’s tend to constrict the number of bidders on a project compared with those without PLA’s, and are likely to reduce the savings to the public that would accrue if nonunion contractors who are employed were allowed to follow their customary methods.

• Additionally, PLA’s tend to discriminate against nonunion workers, by requiring them if they are hired on a project either to join the union or else to contribute agency fees to the union as well as pay into its benefit funds, from which they are unlikely to derive benefits themselves.

• Because most smaller contractors are nonunion, PLA’s tend to have a detrimental effect in particular on the opportunities available to small businesses.

• Under Massachusetts State court decisions, PLA’s are allowable under state competitive bidding projects only for projects of large scope and complexity. It seems doubtful that the City Manager’s recent decision to order PLA’s for the North and Vocational High School construction projects will meet this test.

Link to Study:

WRRB MA Project Labor Agreements on Public Construction Projects The Case For and Against

Time 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Subject DESIGN REVIEW
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Tuesday of every 1 month effective 11/22/2011 until 11/22/2011 from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
SARAH @ 7825
Categories ROOM 318

Time 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject VANDERBURGH ALCOHOL BOARD
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Tuesday of every 1 month effective 11/22/2011 until 11/22/2011 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Scott Bedwell 812-882-1291
Categories ROOM 301

Time 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Subject SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BOARD
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Tuesday of every 1 month effective 11/22/2011 until 11/22/2011 from 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
JOE BALLARD @ 7800
Categories ROOM 307

Time 4:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Subject SOLID WASTE DISTRICT BOARD
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the fourth Tuesday of every 1 month effective 11/22/2011 until 11/22/2011 from 4:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
JOE BALLARD @ 7800
Categories ROOM 301, ROOM 307

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North and Reitz high schools and Thompkins Middle School “We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution” teams advanced to the state competition after participating in the district competition held Nov. 15. North finished first in the high school competition with a score of 866. Reitz finished second with a score of 865 and qualified for the state competition through a wild card slot. Both teams will participate in the state competition scheduled for Dec. 18. Thompkins Team A completed the competition with a score of 843 and will compete at the state level on Dec. 17. Both middle and high school state competitions will be held at Plainfield High School in Plainefield, Ind., west of Indianapolis.

The program teaches young people about the principles and values that the Constitution and Bill of Rights embody, and aims to give students a thorough understanding of their rights and responsibilities as American citizens. The program forces students to analyze constitutional principles and apply them to day-to-day life.

A panel of judges test the expertise of the teams in various areas based on the We the People text designed for the competition. Students address topics such as the history and philosophical ideas underlying the Constitution; the development and expansion of the Bill of Rights; and the roles of citizens in American democracy.

Other schools who placed at the district competition, but did not automatically advance to the state level, include: Bosse High School that placed third, with a score of 733; Helfrich Park STEM Academy that placed third with a score of 803; and another team from Thompkins Middle School that came in fourth with a score of 799.

The City County Observer is pleased to provide our readers with a scholarly study on Right to Work laws from the perspective of employers, employees, unions, and wealth creation. This topic promises to be one of the more important and controversial ones that the Indiana Legislature will be addressing this year and we want to be a part of educating our fellow Hoosiers about this topic so that an our representatives truly understand the will of the governed after the governed have taken the time to read and understand a subject that we are sure will draw much attention.

This scholarly study is only 54 pages and is not partisan so please dig in and enjoy.

Cooper-right-to-work-laws

November 21, 2011

News Release

STATEHOUSE – “Today marks the beginning of the freedom campaign for Hoosier workers. While we are the envy of the Midwest in our job creation efforts, economic development experts tell us that removing the last barriers to job creation in our state will help the quarter of a million unemployed Hoosiers get back to work. That is why my top priority this session is to make Indiana the 23rd Right to Work state in the nation.

“Right to Work isn’t about Unions – it is about freedom and economic opportunity. It is about giving all Hoosiers the freedom to choose a job, decide how their hard earned money is spent and bring more employment opportunities to Indiana.

“With the national economic malaise, and our unemployment rate stubbornly hovering around 9 percent, we can’t afford to not address this issue this session. Right to Work means back to work for the unemployed. This is America, Hoosiers deserve this freedom.”

Senate Pro Tempore Senator Long (R-Fort Wayne) issued the following statement following a joint press conference where he announced he will pursue Right to Work legislation this session to bring more economic development opportunity for Hoosiers:

STATEHOUSE – “While we’ve been aggressive in drawing businesses to our state, the realities of the current global economy are clear: without a Right to Work law in Indiana, companies will continue to overlook us and take jobs either out of state or overseas. Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers are unemployed and we must do everything in our power to ensure Indiana is the best place for jobs to locate. A dynamic and growing economy is critical to our state’s future. To ensure that becomes a reality, we must remove any additional barriers preventing companies and businesses from expanding or locating in Indiana.”

Source: Indiana House Media Department, Indiana Senate Communications.