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Oppose H.B. 205 a union-only law on private sector oil refineries.
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Stop the local use of project labor agreements.
What needs to be done?
Ohio State Legislators should support the construction industry and all tradesmen and women in our state by enacting the Fair and Open Competition Act (FOCA).
How FOCA helps Ohio
Fair and Open Competition eliminates the harmful practice of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) throughout State and local government by creating more opportunities for ALL Ohio construction workers to participate in publicly funded projects. It will also provide a win for the taxpayers who fund projects by reducing the cost and saving resources to use on other public needs.
What is a Project Labor Agreement (PLA)?
Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), also called “Community Benefit Agreements”, require a company who wins the construction bid to join the union for the duration of that project. If a contractor is unable or unwilling to join the union, they may not submit a bid.
ABC calls them, “an anti-competitive and costly scheme designed by Big Labor and sympathetic public officials to funnel construction contracts to unionized contractors and union members while cutting competition from qualified merit shop contractors and their skilled merit shop employees.”
Unions refer to them as, “agreements [that] govern terms and conditions of employment for all craft workers — union and nonunion — on a construction project.”
What Are the Concerns with PLAs in Ohio?
PLAs Discriminate Against Women and Minorities
PLAs discriminate against minority-owned companies because women and minority owned contractors are overwhelmingly non-union. It’s why the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce just signed a letter supporting the Fair and Open Competition Act – the anti-PLA bill – in Congress.
PLAs are Anti-Competitive for Businesses and Bad for Workers
Ohio needs fair and open competition to keep us moving forward. Some of the anti-competitive aspects of PLAs include:
- Requiring employers to pay double benefits – their own company benefits plus union benefits and pensions.
- Requiring tradesmen and tradeswomen to pay union dues or join the union to work the job.
- Consequences for those unwilling to follow arcane union regulations, including penalties resulting in wage theft up to 34% of their earnings.
PLAs Encourage Corruption, Bribes and Favoritism
Ohio should have a fair and open process when it comes to awarding government contracts. Using taxpayer dollars to fund the unions is hurting our state!
Some local governments in Ohio demand PLAs as the price of doing business in their jurisdiction. Ohio’s State Legislature should put an end to corruption and set an example for the entire State.
PLAs Increase Costs for Ohio
PLAs drive up construction costs and leave taxpayers with the bill. Ohioans pay more and get less!
PLAs also siphon dollars away from vital public projects, funneling taxpayer money into the union’s pocket instead of into local communities.
How Can You Support the Construction Industry in Ohio?
Enact the Fair and Open Competition Act!
Oppose H.B. 205 and the use of project labor agreements.
Bryan Williams