From HVALF.org
A Project Labor Agreement Resolution is being proposed by County Legislator Pete Wassell and will be introduced next month. We are asking union members to contact their Dutchess Legislator and ask them to become a co-sponsor of this important legislation.
PLA's were designed by the US Congress to produce the best work for public projects at the lowest cost to tax payers. PLA's increase productivity, set work rules, work times, holiday schedules, and wage rates, they provide a highly skilled supply of workers, they avoid work stoppages and leverage apprenticeship labor to reduce costs and build skills for the next generation of our local workforce. Most importantly, PLA's protect our borders - they are the only known legal way to guarantee local (Hudson Valley) worker employment. Otherwise, public project laborers can be brought in from out of state which deprive our residents of jobs and takes money out of our local economy.
The purpose of this resolution is to set the threshold amount for when PLA's need to be considered on Dutchess County government projects. The resolution calls for $3.5M as the threshold. Dutchess County would typically see a project of this magnitude approximately once every two years. Even if a county contact is over the threshold, PLA's are only initiated if a due diligence report shows a taxpayer cost savings. PLA project's do not cost more than any other project since government contracts require payment of prevailing wage.
Four nearby Republican County Execs and a local Republican Supervisor have gone on the record to promote the benefits of Project Labor Agreements. There Republican leaders are: Adrew Spano, County Exec, Westchester, C. Scott Vanderhoet, County Exec, Rockland, Robert Bondi, County Exec, Putnum, Edward Diana, County Exec, Orange, and Joan Pagones, Supervisor, Fishkill.
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