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Court Overturns Springfield Project Labor Agreement
A Superior Court judge today issued a preliminary injunction against the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission from proceeding with a...
May 16, 20243 min read


Affected Contractors, Industry Associations File Suit to Stop West Parish Water Treatment PLA
Union-only project labor agreement would add $15.44 million in costs, delay the project 2.4 months, and doesn’t meet strict limits on use...
Apr 25, 20243 min read


Springfield Residents Prepare for $15 Million in Wasteful Spending
Updated: March 13, 2024 Public water customers in Springfield should get ready for a good soaking. The Springfield Water and Sewer...
Feb 23, 20241 min read


PLA Premium: $15.44 Million More for Water Treatment Plant, Engineer Says
First, they ignored their lawyer. Then, they ignored their engineers. The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, by a 2-1 vote, imposed...
Feb 19, 20243 min read


Springfield Ignores Its Lawyer & Moves to Discriminate Against Merit Shops
The Springfield Water and Sewer Commission has voted to discriminate against 83% of the state's construction workforce by locking out...
Jan 23, 20244 min read


State Law & PLAs Do Not Stop Union Strikes
Massachusetts state law makes it illegal for public school teacher unions to strike, and yet it still happens. Meanwhile, trade unions...
Jan 22, 20242 min read


To Create Apprenticeship Opportunity, Reform Restrictive, Arbitrary Ratios
The construction of the new state Holyoke Veterans Home includes a goal to use apprentices for 20 percent of the work hours. This $482...
Dec 14, 20233 min read


So Far, Veterans Home Project Missing the Marks on Apprenticeships & Minorities
The Holyoke Veterans Home project is missing the hiring goals for apprentices and minorities, reported the general contractor,...
Nov 21, 20232 min read


Union Bullies School After Losing Competitive Bidding
Here’s another difference between merit shops and unions: If a merit shop loses a competitive bid, it won’t send employees to protest....
Nov 9, 20233 min read


City Should Drop Proposed Apprentice Rule As Court Has Said Measures Violate Federal Law
MCA today provided testimony to the Standing Committee on Economic Development in the City of Worcester. The committee is considering an...
Aug 23, 20234 min read


PLA Impacts Holyoke Veterans Home Project - Not in a Good Way
Low Number of Bidders, Few Minority- and Women-Owned Firms Bid, & Bids Exceed Estimates Today’s ribbon cutting on the Holyoke Veterans...
Aug 14, 20232 min read


PLAs Result in Water Shooting Out of Dorm Toilets & 'Shoddy Work' in Mass.
The Joint Committee on State Administration is hearing testimony on legislation to permit project labor agreements on public projects in...
Jun 8, 20235 min read


Most Construction Workers Are Merit Shop in Mass. & New England
Merit shop construction workers represented 83.8% of the Massachusetts construction workforce in 2022, according to the Union Membership...
Apr 14, 20232 min read


Hiring Promises Gone with the Wind
The MCA always urges people to check the promises made by proponents of project labor agreements. Those hollow promises include wages,...
Feb 6, 20231 min read


Thankful for Our Friends & Supporters
Recognizing 19 Governors Who Stand for Fair & Open Competition In this season of Thanksgiving, we'd like to take a moment to thank all...
Nov 23, 20221 min read


Merit Shop Voices
More than 8,000 public comments were submitted about the draft regulations to implement President Biden's ill-advised executive order...
Nov 1, 20221 min read


Biden Policy Hurts America's Construction Workforce
MCA weighed in with a lengthy rebuke of the Biden Administration's mandate of union-only workers on federal construction projects. MCA...
Oct 18, 20229 min read
PLAs Block Minority- and Women-Owned Firms
PLAs stop merit shops from bidding, and most minority- and women-owned construction companies are merit shop. It's really that simple....
Aug 4, 20221 min read
Bill Overreaches by Extending Prevailing Wage to Prefab Facilities
Prefabrication offers the end-user high-quality components assembled in a safe, climate-controlled facility without the delays caused by...
Apr 1, 20224 min read


Why Pay to PLAy?
PLAs are not a sound practice for anyone starting a building project. Supporters of PLAs, including President Biden, ignore the basic...
Feb 16, 20221 min read
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