PLA Studies

What Do The Facts Say?

The Cost of Project Labor Agreements
A new groundbreaking study reveals "Project Labor Agreements" (PLAs) increase school construction costs by 13 to 15 percent in California.
Click here to read the study

Why Project Labor Agreements Are Not in the Public Interest
This is the most recent study done on PLAs. Published in the Winter 2010 issue of the Cato Journal, it describes the negative effects PLAs have on the public.
Click here to read the study

The True Cost of the Washington Nationals Ballpark Project Labor Agreement
This is a recent study on the Washington Nationals new baseball stadium. It highlights many of the problems that occur when a PLA is on a project.
Click here to read the study

Study Finds that PLAs and President Barack Obama's Executive Order 13502 Will Hurt Nonunion Workers
The study found that had President Obama's pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 applied to federal contracts in 2008, additional costs incurred by employers related to wasteful PLA pension requirements would likely have ranged from $230 to $767 million per year. In total, the move to PLAs could cost nonunion workers and their employers $414 million to more than $1.38 billion annually.
Click here to read the study

ABC National’s Comments on Proposed Rule Encouraging Federal Agencies to Mandate PLAs
This link will take you to comments made by ABC on the proposed rule for Executive Order 13502 from President Obama that encouraged federal agencies to require Project Labor Agreements.
Click here for the PDF of the ABC comments

Beacon Hill Institute Study (September 2009)
A study of President Obama’s Executive Order 13502 and its effect on the construction industry.
Click here for the Beacon Hill Study

Department of Veteran Affairs Study of PLAs (June 2009)
This study demonstrates the increased costs the VA would face if they forced PLAs on their projects.
Click here the VA study

DC Baseball Stadium PLA Study (October 2007)
The study shows how the DC stadium failed to give local residents the majority of the work on the project.
Click here for the DC Stadium PLA Study

Beacon Hill Institute Study on New York School Projects (May 2006)
This study demonstrates the effect PLAs have on school construction projects. Considering the need for the most efficient use of taxpayer money on school projects, this study is very important to everyone.
Click here for the Beacon Hill NY study

Iowa Events Center PLA Study
This study chronicles the errors and costs that a PLA had on the Iowa Event Center. The study was done by the Public Interest Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research institute.
Click here for the Iowa Event Center Study

ABC Study on PLAs (2005)
The study analyzes many PLAs to demonstrate cost overruns, impacts on competition, safety problems, and more. The study was conducted by ABC General Counsel Maury Baskin.
Click here for the ABC study

Beacon Hill Institute Study: School Projects in Connecticut (September 2004)
This study demonstrates the cost overruns in Connecticut on a large school construction project.
Click here for the Beacon Hill study

Beacon Hill Institute Study: School Projects in Massachusetts (September 2003)
This study demonstrates cost overruns on a Massachusetts school district construction project. As quoted from the study, “PLA projects add an estimated $18.83 per square foot to the bid cost of construction (in 2001 prices), representing an almost 14 percent increase in costs over the average non-PLA project.”
Click here for the Beacon Hill study

Ernst & Young Erie county PLA Study (September 2001)
The Ernst and Young study analyzes the effects PLAs have on bidder participation. The study shows how lower bidder participation decreases cost efficiency.
Click here for the Ernst & Young study

Worcester municipal Research Bureau Study (May 2001)
This study analyzes the cases for and against PLAs. The study concluded that savings are reduced by the lack of competition.
Click here for the Worcester study

Southern Nevada Water Authority Study (November 2000)
This project went to a union contract whose bid was $200,000 higher than all the others. The lowest bidder refused to sign a PLA and it cost the taxpayers.
Click here for the Nevada study

Los Angeles Proposition BB PLA Study (November 2000)
The Los Angeles Unified School District could not prove that a PLA would have a positive impact on the project. Still, the school board voted to push through the PLA. This study shows that political concerns from Big Labor outweighed responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
Click here for the Los Angeles study

Minnesota PLA Study (September 2000)
This study shows inefficiencies in construction projects between June and August of 2000.
Click here for the Minnesota study

Jefferson County Courthouse PLA Study (September 2000)
The study was commissioned by the Board of Legislators and concluded that a PLA on the construction of a new courthouse would increase costs by more than 7 percent.
lick for the Jefferson County Courthouse study

Washington DC survey (2000)
This survey asks contractors whether they would bid on a project with a government-mandated PLAs. The results are not surprising.
Click here for the Washington D.C. survey

Clark County School District Study (June 2000)
The Clark County School District conducted a study using an independent and unbiased agency to determine if a PLA would be beneficial for the district. The study showed no compelling reason for a PLA.
Click here for the Clark County survey

Dr. Herbert Northrup PLA Study (January 2000)
The study shows that justifications for PLAs are “flimsy at best.” The study was done by Dr. Herbert Northrup of Wharton School of Business.
Click here for Dr. Northrup’s study

Fitchburg State College PLA Survey (1998)
A survey of contractors and subcontractors on the Boston Harbor Cleanup Project by Fitchburg State College.
Click here for the survey

University of Washington PLA study (1997)
Quoting this study, “...it appears PLAs might not be necessary on any construction projects.” The study was done by the University of Washington.
Click here for the University of Washington study

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Letters (March 1995)
This study shows how fewer bidders bid on the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. The cost is higher bids and higher costs for the taxpayer.
Click here for the Roswell Park Cancer Institute study