AGC Continues Successful Effort to Deter Federal Agencies from Requiring Project Labor Agreements

More than 40 PLA requirements removed or prevented AGC is again attacking agency efforts to impose Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects.  This week, AGC sent letters to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) expressing strong concerns against their decisions to impose a PLA on three separate projects. On January 19, 2012, AGC sent to NAVFAC NW a letter  expressing concerns over its apparent decisions to (a) mandate use of a project labor agreement (“PLA”) on the Command’s project for the construction of the P-990 Explosive Handling Wharf #2 at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (“Bangor Project”) and (b) impose a pre-negotiated PLA on contractors who will work on the project..  On January 3, AGC also sent letters to NAVFAC concerning two additional PLA matters in San Diego: 1) its possible use of PLAs on two upcoming projects at the Naval Medical Center, (LINK TO LETTER) and 2) Special Project RM009-10; HVAC and Ductwork Repairs, Building 1H, Naval Medical Center. While AGC neither supports nor opposes PLAs in general, AGC strongly opposes government mandates for PLAs on publically funded construction projects.  AGC is committed to free and open competition in all public construction markets and believes that publically-funded contracts should be awarded without regard to the lawful labor relations policies and practices of the government contractor.  To date, all of AGC’s 40-plus letters that have been submitted to federal agencies in opposition to PLA mandates have resulted in withdrawal of their PLA requirement.  AGC will continue to submit letters encouraging free and open competition on all federal contracts. For more information, please visit AGC’s PLA Resource Center or contact Marco Giamberardino at (703) 837-5325 or giamberm@agc.org.