ABC opposes ALL discrimination.


We believe that all working men and women, union and non-union alike, have a right to equal competition to work on publicly funded construction projects. 

In 2011, Michigan's Fair and Open Competition in Governmental Construction Act addressed this issue by banning government-mandated Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). This ensures that the state does not discriminate against any business or worker on the basis of union affiliation while protecting tax dollars by awarding bids competitively to all contractors. 

PLAs are essentially unionized monopolies on construction projects which unfairly exclude those Michigan workers who have chosen not to belong to a union. Since around 80% of the Michigan construction workforce chooses not to belong to a labor union, PLAs amount to a discriminatory preference for union members. This preference in turn reduces competition and results in a higher construction cost for the taxpayer. Michigan taxpayers benefit from a PLA ban because they have assurance that public construction is completed by the lowest qualified responsible bidder.

ABC of Michigan strongly supports this state-level ban on government-mandated PLAs because it aligns with our core value that states that union workers and contractors cannot be discriminated against and that non-union workers and contractors cannot be discriminated against. All qualified Michigan working men and women should have the opportunity to compete for work on projects that their tax dollars paid for. 

The Federal courts have sided with ABC on this issue and have repeatedly upheld the constitutionality of the 2011 Act.

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The Truth About PLAs