BUCCO STATEMENT ON PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS

Assembly Republican Anthony M. Bucco, R-Morris and Somerset, who is a member of the Assembly Budget Committee, issued the following statement regarding today’s Assembly Budget Committee meeting at which Project Labor Agreement (PLA) legislation (A-3679/S-2425) was released on a party line vote:

“Instead of allowing the marketplace to determine the economics of construction projects, including those related to Superstorm Sandy, this bill mandates construction guidelines and creates inefficiencies. One of the Legislature’s responsibilities is to ensure everyone has a fair opportunity to participate and compete. Over the course of time, controlling costs for public works projects has never been a strength of government. Our focus must be on rebuilding New Jersey and encouraging an open and competitive bidding process for all interested parties. In this bill, the ‘P’ stands for ‘preferential,’ not ‘project.’”

Bucco offered an amendment during the hearing that would have prohibited political contributions by any individual, union or organization that would win the bid for a public works project under a PLA. The amendment was tabled along a party line vote.

The bill would amend the state’s 2002 law that allowed PLAs for certain kinds of public works contracts. Currently, PLAs are limited only to construction, reconstruction, demolition or renovation of public buildings at the public expense, other than pumping stations or water or sewage treatment plants. This bill would expand the list to include infrastructures such as roads, bridges and water and sewage treatment plants.

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