When non-union contractors win bids on public projects, they can find themselves targeted by union-backed organizations making all sorts of allegations to try to disqualify the merit shop so a union firm can slide in. It's dirty business.
Anyone involved in public construction knows the project leaders conduct extensive due diligence into the contractor's record and past performance. The merit shop industry supports fair and open competition, and believes the qualified bidder submitting the best offer should win.
So when a merit shop on the new Lowell High School project was coming under bogus attacks by union shills, MCA wrote to the Lowell Sun to support the merit shop and the city manager for defending the contractor selection process. We felt it necessary to point out the criticism was coming from the same crew that was pushing to use only union labor and deny merit shops - who employ 85% of the construction workforce - the opportunity to bid. That would have locked out Lowell residents, Lowell-area contractors and women- and minority-owned firms who are mostly nonunion.
Here's the letter as it appeared June 9 online at lowellsun.com.
