Governor Charlie Baker today line-item vetoed the PLA mandate from the Holyoke Soldiers' Home construction bond bill. This was a win for fairness and workforce diversity. In his veto message to the Legislature, Baker wrote:
"Massachusetts's public construction laws are amongst the most open and fair laws in the country with respect to construction procurement and workforce wages. These laws were implemented to create a level playing field for all contractors eligible to work on public construction projects. PLAs create barriers to entry that eliminate the equality of opportunity that is central to the Commonwealth's public construction process."
In response, MCA issued the following statement:
"Governor Baker’s line-item veto protects the rights of construction professionals to bid and work on a public project they are paying for with their taxes. Importantly, this includes minorities, women and veterans in construction whose own Legislature chose to penalize them for their personal choice to not join organized labor. PLAs serve to create a monopoly for union labor and create a systemic barrier that inhibits workforce diversity and fair and open competition."