Staten Island Advance, April 14, 2009, Tuesday

Staten Island Advance

April 14, 2009, Tuesday

Staten Island Advance

America's Building Trades Unions Hail New Study That Points to Effectiveness of Project Labor Agreements

WASHINGTON, April 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study commissioned by the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University once again affirms the fact that Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) do not discriminate against employers and workers, do not limit the pool of bidders, and do not raise construction costs.

The study, Project Labor Agreements in New York State: In the Public Interest, was authored by Fred B. Kotler, the Associate Director of the Construction Industry Program at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and reviewed the background and legal standards for the appropriate use of PLAs on public works projects in New York City and State. It also tests, and rejects, the validity of the claims made by
opponents of PLAs -- focusing on the studies conducted in recent years by the Beacon Hill Institute.

In its conclusions, the study states, in part, "A key point here is that there is no evidence to support claims that project labor agreements either limit the pool of bidders or drive up actual construction costs. Such claims by opponents are based on inadequate data and faulty
methodology. PLAs -- in New York City and State and elsewhere -- have
instead proven very successful at saving costs while respecting fair labor
standards."

Mark H. Ayers, President of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, concurred, "As we have known for some time -- and which this study re-affirms -- is that Project Labor Agreements are a valuable tool for ensuring a quality return on construction investments."

The Building and Construction Trades Department is an association of 13 national and international unions representing 2.5 million skilled craft men and women in the United States and Canada.