TAUC tells feds $25M threshold is too high

August 13 2009

The Association of Union Constructors submitted a letter to the General Services Administration on Aug. 13 expressing concerns about the implementation of Executive Order 13502.

The order, announced by President Obama in February 2009, declared it the policy of the federal government to utilize Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) in connection with large scale construction projects with a budget of $25 million or more.

TAUC urged the federal government to broaden the scope of the order, so the use of PLAs would not be restricted by the size of a project’s budget.

“Time after time, our contractors have seen significant advantages in using PLAs on modest multimillion projects and multibillion dollar projects alike,” TAUC’s letter said.

Background

A recent membership study conducted on behalf of TAUC indicated members wanted to see the association become more active in government affairs.

As a result, TAUC’s board of directors approved the formation of a Government Affairs Committee in May 2009, and designated Robert Hoover of Aker Construction as the committee chair. The board approved a policy acceptance process in July 2009.

Questions about the association’s new government affairs activities can be directed to Todd Mustard at 703.524.3336 x112.