On Sept. 17, John Falk of York, Pa., is scheduled to begin walking the 89 miles between York and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., to protest the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) on construction projects.
After witnessing the impact PLAs had on his employer and the construction industry in Pennsylvania and angered by federal and state policies promoting the use of PLAs on taxpayer-funded work, Falk began circulating a petition urging Congress to overturn President Obama’s pro-PLA Executive Order 13502 and enact legislation to guarantee fair and open competition on federally supported construction. Falk plans to hand deliver the petition to his member of Congress when he reaches the Capitol on Sept. 21.
A website was launched Sept. 14 that tells Falk’s story, chronicles his progress, shows the route he plans to take, and gives visitors the opportunity to sign his petition. The site is available at
www.89milesforfreedom.com and a Facebook page, is available at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/89-Miles-for-Freedom/159776164032888?created#!/pages/89-Miles-for-Freedom/159776164032888?ref=ts.
“John Falk is just an average guy who is fed up with the policies coming out of Washington,” said ABC Keystone Chapter President Jack Zimmer. “John has seen the impact of PLAs and this is his way of telling the federal government that policies that promote PLAs hurt everyday people. We encourage everyone to visit the website and sign the petition.”
Executive Order 13502, signed Feb. 6, 2009 by President Obama, encourages federal agencies to require PLAs on federal and federally funded construction projects in excess of $25 million. Construction contracts subject to union-only PLAs are usually awarded to unionized contractors and their all-union workforces.
Visit
www.thetruthaboutplas.com or
www.facebook.com/thetruthaboutplas for more information.