“Last week, Obama quietly issued an executive order that, as The Associated Press described, “encourages federal agencies to have construction contractors and subcontractors enter project labor agreements. Those agreements require contractors to negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and benefits and generally abide by collective-bargaining agreements,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
What does it all mean? Here is an explanation from the same editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
It means the competitive bidding process for federal contracts, intended to protect taxpayers, is being undermined. It means the 84 percent of construction workers who don’t belong to labor unions will likely be discriminated against; they’ll be left to choose between joining a union and, essentially, not working. It means big labor – which spent millions of dollars helping elect Obama – is getting a huge payoff. It means we should prepare our pocketbooks for even more costly quid pro quo from Obama. Most disturbingly, though, it means exponentially higher labor costs for taxpayer-funded federal government projects at a time when our nation is trying to pull itself out of a fiscal ditch.
What it means is that only union contractors will be able to bid on big federal projects. So non-union workers will get the shaft – even though they make up the great majority of the U.S. workforce.
Do you want to know more about project labor agreements? Click here.
I am not anti-union, in fact I belong to a teacher’s union, but it is not fair to stack the deck against non-union companies and their workers. In fact that is anti-minority as most minority workers are NOT union members.
Newly installed Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele summed it up well: “Federal contracts should go to the businesses that can offer taxpayers the best value – not just the unions who supported the Democrats’ campaigns last year. Quietly signing executive orders to payback campaign backers undermines Obama’s promise to change Washington.”
“It means the competitive bidding process for federal contracts, intended to protect taxpayers, is being undermined.”
“It means we should prepare our pocketbooks for even more costly quid pro quo from Obama.”
“Most disturbingly, though, it means exponentially higher labor costs for taxpayer-funded federal government projects ..”
WRONG on all three counts – These are Prevailing Wage projects and jobs. All contractors, union and non-union are required to pay PV on Federally Funded projects.
Art said: “What it means is that only union contractors will be able to bid on big federal projects.”
Not true – non-union contractors have every opportunity to bid and perform these projects. However, they must pay into the union fringe benefit funds.
But remember, it is Federal law that they, and union contractors, must pay Prevailing Wage on Federal projects- regardless.
Michael Steele said: “Federal contracts should go to the businesses that can offer taxpayers the best value ..”
Study after study has proven that union construction workers and union contractors, in the long run – for the life of a typical building, are competitive and provide the best value for tax payers money.
What needs to go is the lowest bid mentality, it doesn’t mean the best quality work.
#4 What studies? Who is preparing these studies? How does a min 25% increase in costs relate to the “life of a building”? Are we to believe that the work is of higher quality, NOT!
Sounds like union backed propaganda! Would love to see some references…….I have been in the trades for 20 years, non union, on prevailing wage jobs and have yet to see more quality at the end of the day…maybe better for the worker but not for those who cut the checks, the tax payer!
Anon
What about farmworkers’ unions, Art, against those, too? Paying farmworkers a living wage with health benefits will drive up the cost of strawberries. What about the hotel workers and janitors? Pay them better than poverty wages and it will drive up your travel and vacation costs. Your absolutely right, Art, unions drive up the cost of doing business because they pressure managers to pay their workers more, and they protect workers from being forced to do uncompensated overtime. Look at Walmart, an aggressively non-union company. Look at those prices! Look at those profits!
Look at the big 3 auto workers, yeh its a great idea,
Didn’t our illustrious Board of Supervisors adopt such a prevailing union wage policy a few (8-10)years back (Project Labor Agreements)? Anyone know if that is still the policy of our “conservative Board”? Perhaps Obama is just catching up with Orange County —
Been there,
The OC BOS declined to renew the Project Labor Agreement about 2 years ago.
This PLA was a sop to the construction unions to get union support of an airport at the former El Toro MCAS. When the airport went bye-bye so did the PLA.
OK if any of you yuppies would have ever gotten your hands dirty you would know there is a huge difference in the quality of union labor and non- union rat labor or (George double da bosh pay) You would know that Union trades have to go through schooling as a apprentice rats do not! I have seen the difference. When a floor is 8” out of level in 100′ or everthing is unlevel not installed right or just plain looks like shit it is non union rat labor. Unions also raise your wages you anti unon idiots! If not for unions there would be no incentive to give you a raise! That and nafta are why the US is a mess. 90 percent of people are under payed there for they do not have cash to spend and the goverment makes less on tax because they make less. We cannot compete with 3rd world wage unions or not! As for rice grinders government gave bmw approx 30k per person employed to build a plant here as for toyota 100k per worker!!! How long will it take to get that money back when the profit goes to another country? Thanks double da and you other republican cows following the trail. There wages are also very compareable to the UAW but they do not pay for there workers when they get hurt nore do they care if they get hurt they have very low saftey standards for there employes! whould you rather have a high highschool kid put your car together for minimum wage?
If I got 40 million a year I would retire after 1 month of working but if it’s non union and a bank thats ok right? Go to H*(L
For one it is not a bail out it is a loan!
Our economy at its state would not survive! The US was built on manufacturing not you white collar fools.You do not care if the US looses three million plus jobs? Lets see how that works for you? As for paying union members say 40,000 a year for destorying their bodys is getting away cheap. The banks are the ones that should have not gotten bailed out. Take one ceo getting a 40 million dollar bonus, that pays the 40,000 dollar wage of 1,000 workers! But thats ok right because they went to college to learn to screw us all? Check your facts GM has been equal if not supperior to forgein junk.The us is afaid to get off their but and look for them selves, instead they rely on someone’s byist opinion in a magazine. Buy a cadillac not a lexus which is a toyota not a luxury car. If you are one of the people than got burned buy the junk mini vans of chrysler that was over 20 years ago get over it and support the people of your country not Japan or China. Gm does have the most American parts and Labor out of any of them.I have never had any problem with my chevys or cadillacs over the years Check the gas milage if that is one of your big complaints. A cobalt gets 37 mpg along with many other cars in the 30’s or 20’s my newest cadillacs gets 29mpg at 70mph 255hp 3.6 V6! I have gotten 34 with the cruise set at 55mph. Great warranty and it was built in texas.I had 2 devilles in the early 90’s that had a v8 and got in the mid 20’s mpg sold them both around 200,000miles problem free. I will take that over any forgien crap any day! You also say why didnt they build more fuel efficient cars? They did chevy celebrity mid 1980’s 2.5L 40mpg+ good for well over 200,000 miles and cheap why did they quit making these cars? You whinners didn’t buy them! There was alot more cars like this do research. As far as junk cars of the 80’s early 90’s Most of them had mitsubishi engines and other forgein crap! Our public would know this if anyone still got there hand dirty! Also the bosses of the union members do not need the benefits,they get paid a hell of alot more! Everyone quit putting everyone else down because you are jealouse! Stand up increase import taxes the US cannot compete with 3rd world countries and why should we have to? Dont you wish you could afford a better life for you children? Getting your self higher pay is the only way who cares about your ceo’s or the stock holder’s? I don’t, I care for the middle class. Unions also bring up your wages even if you do not belong to one.
QUIT IMPORTING OR WE WILL BE THE NEW 3RD WORLD COUNTY DON’T BUY IT!!!!
when we vote out obama it will take 100 years to fix his fuck ups
“Study after study has proven that union construction workers and union contractors, in the long run – for the life of a typical building, are competitive and provide the best value for tax payers money.”
I’m an IBEW commercial and industrial electrician, and I’ll put our guys up against any non-union workers. I think we do better work. Plus, we actually get exposed to electrical theory during our five-year apprenticeships.
Remember, if a job is done right the first time, especially when you’re dealing with something that isn’t easily redone like construction work, the higher initial cost is usually offset in the long run. Also, our guys are annually and randomly drug tested, whereas non-union workers are typically not. There are disproportionate number of tweakers working non-union. So, you also have to factor in the liability costs of employing non-union workers. Furthermore, a lot of non-union contractors employ illegals.
Forget all you non union rat motherfuckers your work says it all proud IUEC member local 1409
Unions do the best work dont they. Bull its rough throw it together work like an animal work. As a non union mason doing RESIDENTIAL work ive had union workers laid off working for me that couldnt build a friggin scaffold. Nothing more the line beaters
uh… I think you maybe should hire a union commenter to help you out with whatever it is you’re trying to say here, Alex.