Mace Announces Hearing on Biden Administration’s Project Labor Agreement Mandate

WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Chairwoman Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) will hold a hearing titled “Cutting Competition in Contracting: The Administration’s Pricey Project Labor Agreement Mandate.” The hearing will examine a Biden Administration mandate that firms doing federally-contracted construction work enter into pre-hire collective bargaining pacts called project labor agreements (PLAs). The mandate, which went into effect in January, discriminates against the majority of construction workers and firms—those that are not unionized—since PLAs typically require hiring be done through a union hiring hall and that union work rules be followed.

“The Biden Administration’s project labor agreement mandate is a radical departure from normal competitive contracting procedures. When the Obama Administration pressed federal agencies to mandate PLAs, they overwhelmingly chose not to do so, since PLAs raise taxpayer costs by reducing bids and imposing cumbersome union work rules. The Biden Administration is now doubling down by making PLAs mandatory. This Administration clearly has no qualms about using the federal contracting process and taxpayer dollars to bestow favors on political allies and intervene in employee relations at private firms, instead of enabling fair and open competition for federal contract work,” said Subcommittee Chairwoman Mace.

WHAT: Hearing titled “Cutting Competition in Contracting: The Administration’s Pricey Project Labor Agreement Mandate”

DATE: Thursday, June 27, 2024

TIME: 2:00 p.m. ET

LOCATION: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building

WITNESSES:

• Ben Brubeck,Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
• Glenn P. Ledet, Jr.,Executive Director, Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

• Aric Dreher, Vice President and General Manager, Cianbro

The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at https://oversight.house.gov/.