As the 130th Legislature winds down its work, there is the typical flurry of activity and legislation flying through the newly reopened halls of the State House. No matter the year or who is in control it is a normal feeling to be overwhelmed by all the activity and even more so by the legislation.

This year a large amount of activity has been centered around government-mandated project labor agreements, PLAs for short. While that term might not mean much to you, it means a lot to me and my business. Project labor agreements are a labor union tactic to force non-union contractors like me to pay them for my own employees. PLA’s require my employees, who choose every day not to join a union, to pay the union dues while not being in the union itself. There is a word for this: extortion.

What is even worse about PLA legislation is that it disqualifies 89.5% of Maine’s construction workforce from working on a PLA mandated project. That means more jobs for out of state union contractors while Mainers get left off the job. I would encourage the Maine Legislature to vote against PLA legislation. You can learn more about this harmful legislation at buildmainelocal.com.

Stacey Morrison

Augusta