Letter to Assistant Secretary Darcy - Project Labor Agreement

Letter

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Bill Enyart (D-IL) today criticized a decision by the Army Corps of Engineers not to use a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the first major levee improvement projects in the Metro East, Illinois region. In a letter to Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), Jo-Ellen Darcy, the Illinois members strongly encouraged the Army Corps to include PLAs when contracting future levee improvement projects.

"Frankly, this decision is baffling to a community that has so strongly pursued this project. As the full levee reconstruction plan includes several federally funded projects, we strongly encourage you to limit today's decision to this portion and make PLAs part of future levee improvement projects," the Illinois members wrote. "Cooperation among all parties is essential for progress and, in spite of this decision; we are hopeful that the levee improvements will be able to move forward without delay."

Durbin and Enyart also noted that the decision does not preclude bidders from including a PLA in their proposal. A PLA is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project. According to the Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council, PLAs have been used successfully on nearly all major projects, public and private, in recent years in Southwestern Illinois.

On March 26, Durbin and Enyart sent a letter to Darcy urging the Army Corps of Engineers to engage in a Project Labor Agreement for the levee rehabilitation projects in the Metro East, Illinois region. The Illinois members cited President Obama's February 2009 Executive Order encouraging the use of Project Labor Agreements -- which he said, "promote economy and efficiency in federal procurement" -- for federal construction projects.

Text of today's letter is below:

July 11, 2013

The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy
Assistant Secretary for Civil Works
108 Army Pentagon
Room 3E446
Washington, DC 20310

Dear Secretary Darcy,

We are extremely disappointed with the recent Army Corps of Engineers decision to deny a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the first major levee improvement projects in the Metro East, Illinois region. Frankly, this decision is baffling to a community that has so strongly pursued this project. As the full levee reconstruction plan includes several federally funded projects, we strongly encourage you to limit today's decision to this portion and make PLAs part of future levee improvement projects.

Working with a PLA boosts local participation and ensures that the financial benefit from the federal spending stays in the local community. In February 2009, President Obama issued an Executive Order that recognized these agreements can provide "structure and stability to large-scale construction projects, thereby promoting efficient and expeditious completion of Federal construction contracts." The Metro East community, local businesses, labor groups, the Governor of Illinois and the Illinois General Assembly have all strongly endorsed adoption of a PLA for this important project.

Furthermore, this levee reconstruction project is unique because the local community has taken the extraordinary step of taxing themselves to make these improvements. Communities willing to raise funds to make necessary improvements deserve heightened cooperation from the Corps.

We understand that the decision does not preclude those who are bidding on these first major levee improvement projects from including a PLA in their bid. We encourage you to leverage the strong community support behind the project by giving every consideration to bidders that include a PLA.

Cooperation among all parties is essential for progress and, in spite of this decision; we are hopeful that the levee improvements will be able to move forward without delay.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Source