Va. House advances ban on mandatory labor agreements
- Last Updated on 01 April 2012
David Sherfinski | The Washington Times:
The Virginia House of Delegates on Monday gave preliminary approval to a bill that would prohibit mandatory labor agreements on state-funded construction projects that opponents argue favor union workers and can lead to ballooning costs.
The debate over so-called project labor agreements (PLAs), prehiring arrangements in which contractors and labor groups set the terms of employment for a particular project, came to a head when the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) voted to include a mandatory PLA in the procurement documents for Phase 2 of the 23-mile Dulles Metrorail Project. An agreement had been used on Phase 1 but was voluntarily adopted by Dulles Transit Partners, the prime contractor, after wining the bid.
The thorny debate in Virginia, a right-to-work state, spilled over onto the House floor Monday, with proponents of the bill arguing that it simply creates a level playing field by not favoring or discriminating against union or non-union workers. ... Read Full Article
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