HR1119

LRB096 21884 GRL 39909 r





  
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HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
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    WHEREAS, Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) effectively deny 
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nearly 85.5% of the U.S. private construction workforce (those 
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who do not belong to a labor union) the ability to gain 
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employment on almost all public work projects; PLAs reduce 
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competition and significantly drive up costs for taxpayers; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, PLAs put special interests ahead of the public 
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interest by essentially restricting the bidding process to 
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contractors backed by big labor unions, while denying others 
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the opportunity to perform the job at a better price; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, PLAs require contractors, including construction 
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contractors, to agree to the terms of a one-time collective 
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bargaining agreement with labor unions, without regard to the 
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wishes of the employees, as a condition of performing work on a 
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particular construction project; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, Numerous academic studies have compared the 
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impact of PLAs on bid and final construction costs when 
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compared to similar non-PLA projects and have found that PLAs 
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cost 10% to 18% more per square foot; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, PLAs force construction employees who are not 
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members of a union to be shut out of working on PLA projects; 
 


 






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PLAs also force construction employees to pay union dues and 
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fees, follow union hiring hall guidelines, and obey inefficient 
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union work rules for their craft for the life of a PLA project, 
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even though they have freely chosen to NOT belong to a union; 
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and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, Associations that represent small, disadvantaged, 
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minority and women-owned businesses, such as the National Black 
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Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Women 
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Business Owners, are publicly opposed to PLAs; local minority 
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workers are shut out of PLA projects because they are 
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overwhelmingly under-represented in members of key unions, 
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including trade unions and craft unions; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, PLAs deny taxpayers the accountability they 
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deserve from government while encouraging waste and 
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discrimination in contracting; and
 
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    WHEREAS, PLAs significantly limit and, in some instances, 
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prohibit the majority of the taxpaying construction 
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contractors from working on a public or private construction 
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project because of their non-union affiliation; these 
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agreements are a form of discrimination against law-abiding, 
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taxpaying Illinois citizens and employers; and
 
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    WHEREAS, Free and open competition is conducive to 
 


 






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production, economic growth, and efficient use of limited 
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resources; it is in the public interest, especially when public 
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contracts and tax dollars are concerned, that all qualified and 
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capable contractors and workers are fairly considered; and
  
 
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    WHEREAS, Union affiliation should not be one of the 
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determining factors in awarding construction contracts; free 
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and open competition is the only way to protect public and 
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private interests, stretch scarce construction dollars, and 
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maximize product quality; therefore, be it
  
 
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    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
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NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we 
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urge the Governor to withdraw Executive Order 2010 - 03 and 
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discontinue the use of PLAs on State and Federal Public Works 
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Projects in Illinois; and be it further
  
 
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    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
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presented to the Governor.