DAVE SLOAD: We Must End Discrimination Against Nonunion Construction Workers

Pennsylvania’s hardworking tradesmen and women—carpenters, plumbers, heavy equipment operators—aren’t asking for handouts. They just want a fair shot at the American Dream. However, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is slamming the door on nearly 90% of the Commonwealth’s construction workforce, all because they choose not to toe the union line. This isn’t “getting sh*t done,” it’s a special interest power grab that rigs the game for Shapiro’s big union handlers.

In April 2024, Shapiro, while schmoozing at a union-affiliated training center, ordered commonwealth agencies to “examine all contract solicitations to determine if the use of PLAs is appropriate.” A PLA, or project labor agreement, is a sweetheart deal between the government and labor unions that forces every bidder—including nonunion shops—to swallow union rules, hire from union halls, and even fire their own skilled workers. It’s not negotiation; it’s coercion, pure and simple, turning public projects into union slush funds.

Despite a 2019 Commonwealth Court smackdown against the previous Wolf Administration’s PLA push at PennDOT (ruling it a violation of Pennsylvania’s competitive bidding laws except in “extraordinary circumstances”) Shapiro doubled down. He directed agencies to evaluate every state construction project using fuzzy criteria like “particular need and urgency; complexity of the project; lack of available qualified labor.” Translation? Whatever helps Shapiro’s union buddies, no matter how it harms taxpayers and nonunion workers.

Fast-forward to March 2025: The state Department of General Services (DGS) slapped a PLA on a $450 million joint laboratory facility RFP, Phase 1.

The Associated Builders and Contractors, Keystone Chapter—champions of merit-shop contractors—sued to stop this nonsense. The Commonwealth Court granted a preliminary injunction this summer, blasting the administration in a fiery decision.

The Court called out DGS for never proving union labor is safer, more skilled, or faster than nonunion crews, and hammered how nonunion contractors (NUCs) were “not on equal footing” in the bidding war.

Shapiro’s “GSD” bravado? It’s causing delays, lawsuits, and wasted taxpayer dollars—classic legal maneuvering tactics.