AGC Opposes VA-Mandated PLA

This week, AGC sent a letter opposing the possible use of a project labor agreement (PLA) mandate posted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for construction of a new hospital bed tower at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Department of Veterans Affairs, in Tampa, Fla. AGC has sent over 80 letters to federal agencies opposing PLA mandates and bid preferences during the Obama administration, most in response to agency announcements that a PLA mandate or preference was under consideration for a particular project or an anticipated set of projects in a particular area. Of those, only one PLA mandate has been issued to date. AGC neither supports nor opposes contractors’ voluntary use of PLAs on government projects, but strongly opposes any government mandate for contractors’ use of PLAs. AGC is committed to free and open competition for publicly funded work, and believes that the lawful labor relations policies and practices of private construction contractors should not be a factor in a government agency’s selection process. To view AGC efforts opposing government mandated PLAs, click here. For more information, please contact Jimmy Christianson at (703) 837-5325 or christiansonj@agc.org.