It appears the Legislature in Augusta is looking to discriminate against 87.1% of Maine construction workers who choose not to join a union, and is asking the taxpayers to pay for it.

Currently there are numerous bills before the Legislature — including LD 1231, LD 1656, and LD 1633 — which all have similar objectives. They all include Project Labor Agreement or apprenticeship requirements that are designed so only union contractors will bid on the work. This will limit the amount of Maine contractors that will bid on power generation, affordable housing, or other projects with state funding.

If Maine contractors aren’t bidding this work, out-of-state contractors will. PLAs have been used in other parts of the country, and study after study has proven that projects done under a PLA cost between 10% and 25% more than projects built without a PLA, according to articles posted at thetruthaboutplas.com.

The registered apprentice program requirement is an antiquated time-based program that is designed to create jobs for those who manage it. While that program might work for some, our company has found other methods of providing training that are results-driven and flexible, which is what the current workforce needs, and it has been very successful.

I would ask Maine’s Legislature not to engage in discriminating against 87.1% of Maine’s construction workforce, and vote against any bills that contain this kind of language.

Jim Lamson, Lisbon, president of L&B Electrical Contractors

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