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PLAs Are Wrong for Maryland

Project labor agreements lead to inequity and exclusion, hurting small and minority-owned businesses and Maryland workers. Mandated PLA’'s are a step backward and enshrine outdated business practices that only make it more difficult for MBE businesses and Maryland workers to participate.

 
 

Reasons Why We Don't Need Mandated PLAS

Mandated PLAs on state public works projects are never as good they seem because they steer taxpayer-funded public works contracts to union-signatory contractors who monopolize jobs and subcontracts, as well as raise taxpayer costs.

 
 

Myths About Mandated PLAs

We are committed to clearing the air about the so-called benefits of mandated PLAs. Here are five myths we busted about mandated PLAs.

 
 

Failed PLA Projects

We are committed to bringing transparency to the dangers of this policy and ensuring all workers get fair opportunities at crucial taxpayer-funded projects.

 
 

Call to Action

Americans expect fairness and open competition. Join us to tell Maryland lawmakers to stop mandated Project labor agreements and keep jobs in Maryland!

Get the Facts About Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements

Why Mandated PLAs Are Wrong for Maryland

  • Costly and Prone to Delays
  • Excludes and Hurts Minority-Owned Businesses and Workers
  • Leaves Maryland Workers Behind
  • 9 out of 10 Construction Industry Employees Are Non-Union

The Maryland Coalition for Fairness and Open Competition is a Maryland coalition dedicated to advocating against the use of mandated PLAs on state public works projects that steer taxpayer-funded public works contracts to union-signatory contractors, granting union workers a monopoly on jobs and contracts, as well as raising taxpayer costs. 

MARYLANDERS SPEAK OUT AGAINST PLAs

I urge you to protect Maryland’s minority and women-owned small business enterprises (MWBE) by not supporting Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements for public infrastructure projects across the state. The reality is, a total of 85% of minority-owned contractors are excluded from developing Maryland’s roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals when a Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement is applied to a tax-payer-funded project.

Andrew Ginn

Marylanders expect fairness and open competition. Mandated Project Labor Agreements lead to inequity and exclusion, hurting small and minority-owned businesses (MBE’s) and Maryland workers. PLA’s are a step backward in recent efforts to eliminate institutional barriers to racial wealth equality by enshrining practices that only make it more difficult for MBE businesses to participate. It’s time we focus on the hard-working folks that call Maryland their home. As your constituent, I urge you to put an end to mandated Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s) and keep jobs in Maryland!

Barrett Tucker

Con eso yo perderia mi trabajo por q la compania ya no tendria trabajo para mi asi me beneficia en nada la union perderia todo mis ingresos para sobrevivir.

Jose Interiano

I work for a company with our home office in Marriottsville, Maryland, that specializes in water and wastewater treatment, plant, construction and rehabilitation. We built our specialized workforce over the last 20 years, not using union labor, but paying very good and competitive wages and offering great benefits. We are seeing PLA’s being required on larger federal projects, which restrict our ability to perform work in our normal manner, with the highest safety and quality standards. As a lot of our work is in Maryland, requiring PLA’s in Maryland here will do the same and hurt our ability to perform the needed infrastructure work for our communities.

Brandon Lumm

Si solo voy a perder mi trabajo asi no estoy de acuerdo. Respuesta no y no.

Saul Alcantera

FAILED PLA PROJECTS IN DC/MD/VA

BY THE NUMBERS

20

PLAs typically increase the cost of construction by 12% to 20%

10

Record low of the construction workforce that belongs to a union

34

Typical amount of worker’s take-home pay effectively stolen from them to cover union dues/benefits/pension fund

8

Construction workers were not members of a union in 2023 nationwide

RECENT NEWS

News
October 2, 2024

California Gov. Gavin Newsome Vetoes SB 984 Mandated PLA Bill

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a bill that the ABC California chapters have been fighting for months. In its original form, SB 984 would have mandated PLAs on any and…
News
July 18, 2024

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser Chastised The City Council Regarding PLA Bill

Dear Chairman Mendelson: I support the Council's commitment to establishing fair and equitable terms of employment on District-funded construction projects. However, before passing Bill 25-469, the Revised Project Labor Agreement…
News
April 29, 2024

Update: Arlington Career Center Project Hits Potentially Key Snag After PLA

Labor provisions could scuttle agreement just as construction contract was ready for signing.

COALITION MEMBERS

ABC Chesapeake Shores

ABC Cumberland Valley

ABC Greater Baltimore

ABC Metro Washington

MD Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Independent Electrical Contractors—Chesapeake

Maryland Minority Contractors Association

Maryland Transportation Builders & Materials