The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) is proposing a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the new Lake Champlain Bridge Project, on the state line between Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, VT. PLAs require all contractors working on the project to execute a union agreement, hire union workers, pay into union funds and operate under union work rules and conditions. ABC has urged the Vermont Agency of Transportation to intercede and object to the proposed PLA for this Federally assisted project (80% Federal assistance for the projected $75 million cost). The joint authority and co agency function of NYSDOT and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), including the equal investment of a projected $7,500,000 in taxpayer’s dollars from each state for the bridge project (10% of cost for each state), demands open, objective discussion and decision making involving both state agencies. While both states are committed to restoring the bridge service as quickly as possible, there appears to be little consideration of VTrans or the State of Vermont in the decision to propose a PLA. The NYSDOT obviously does not consider the State of Vermont or its taxpayers as interested or affected. The Vermont legislature and the Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Transportation have communicated their objection to the PLA to the NY State Department of Transportation.

In summary, the best interest being served by a PLA is construction trade unions. Requiring non union contractors to execute union agreements for the project, agreeing to replace their employees with union workers, pay into union funds and abide by union work rules and conditions creates unknown cost that are impossible to plan and bid for and are conditions that make it non competitive for non union contractors. To suggest that a non union contractor’s ability to compete is not impacted by a PLA is untrue. To present a PLA as an effort to create harmony and to establish a resolution to any potential disputes is misleading and promotes a procurement process that supports favoritism.

In Vermont, statistics for 2009 show total construction trade employment at 13,987 with 625 or 4.5% being union members. A Project Labor Agreement is authorized discrimination against over 9 out of 10 Vermont construction workers who choose not to join a union. ABC in New York and Vermont are working at the state and Federal level to prevent the proposed PLA.