Project Labor Agreement Education Effort

February 16, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Ever since President Obama signed the Executive Order that encourages the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects in excess of $25 million, the opponents of PLAs have pulled out all the stops in order to misrepresent and demonize them.

And since they are consistently beaten back at every juncture in the judicial system when they try to defeat or block the implementation of PLAs, they are now stepping up their efforts in the court of public opinion and politics to acheive what the courts continually deny them.

Their latest tactic is being played out in Southern California where an anti-PLA ballot measure is being considered for the November 2010 election. The proposal under consideration by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors would ban county contracts from including a project labor agreement.

Now, given the fact that all across the nation there are conservative "fear mongers" (read: Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, et. al.) and "tea baggers" who are cultivating an atmosphere of paranoia and mistrust around every conceivable public policy issue, it's easy to see how the ABC and its cohorts will inevitably seek to place similar measures on local ballots all over the nation.

With that in mind, we are taking steps to meet this challenge head-on and go on the offensive. In short, we intend to turn the tables on the ABC and others and force them to defend the alternative business model to PLAs, which is the open-shop model that does so much to destroy the socio-economic structure of communities all across this nation.

To that end, we have established a pro-PLA website (www.PLAsWork.org) that is designed to present an accurate portrayal of the issue, along with reams of supporting research and documentation.

The Department is also at work putting together an education/training module that will assist state and local councils with educating lawmakers, the media, and the general public on the true nature of PLAs, as well as the destructive nature of the open-shop business model.

But, we need your help to further this effort along.

First, we are in need of video testimonials from local building trades leaders that can speak to the positive economic ("on time...on budget") and social attributes (creating pathways for local residents to achieve skilled craft training opportunities) associated with PLAs in which you were involved.

If you have a story to tell, and you have, or have access to, a digital video camera (we are not looking for extreme production values here), it would be helpful if you could record that story and then send the file to the Building Trades Department (at my email address listed below), so that I can then post them on the PLAsWork website.

Secondly, we encourage all councils to make plans to have your federal, state and local elected officials spend a day touring a shining example of a joint labor-management training facility. This will provide an excellent opportunity to show how our training programs - which are the envy of the world - are such a compelling component to building the skilled workforce of the future, and are part and parcel of the true nature of project labor agreements.

Finally, I am always open to suggestions and ideas that may have worked for you in the past when it comes to shedding a positive light on PLAs. Please forward them to me as well, and I will keep everyone apprised of our efforts on putting together the educational/training module. My objective is to have something completed by the 2010 National Legislative Conference in April.

In the meantime, please do what you can to produce and send to me pro-PLA testimonials.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this important endeavor.

Tom Owens
Director of Marketing and Communications
Building and Construction Trades Department