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51·çÁ÷ Responds to USACE PLA Inquiry

On May 9, opposing the possible use of a project labor agreement (PLA) mandate posted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District for the construction of a conference center and dormitories for the U.S. Customs & Border Protection's advanced training center in Harpers Ferry, W. Va. 51·çÁ÷ has sent over 60 letters to federal agencies opposing PLA mandates and bid preferences during the Obama Administration, most in response to agency announcements that a PLA mandate or preference was under consideration for a particular project or an anticipated set of projects in a particular area. Of those, only one PLA mandate has been issued to date. 51·çÁ÷ neither supports nor opposes contractors’ voluntary use of PLAs on government projects, but strongly opposes any government mandate for contractors’ use of PLAs. 51·çÁ÷ is committed to free and open competition for publicly funded work, and believes that the lawful labor relations policies and practices of private construction contractors should not be a factor in a government agency’s selection process. For more information, please contact Jimmy Christianson at (703) 837-5325 or christiansonj@agc.org.