WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Friday issued an executive order backing the use of union labor for large-scale federal construction projects.
The order encourages federal agencies to have construction contractors and subcontractors enter project labor agreements. Those agreements require contractors to negotiate with union officials, recognize union wages and benefits and generally abide by collective-bargaining agreements.
Obama's order restores a Clinton administration order that was revoked by President George W. Bush.
It is the fourth union-friendly executive order that Obama has signed since he's been in office, and one of about a dozen orders put in place by Bush that labor leaders have urged Obama to repeal.
"Project labor agreements are a win-win for everyone involved," said James Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "Contractors get highly trained, skilled labor with fixed costs, and workers are fairly compensated with their rights and safety protected."
But the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade group, said the order would unfairly steer federal construction contracts to unionized contractors despite the fact that 84 percent of U.S. construction workers do not belong to labor unions.
ABC president Kirk Pickerel said the effect would "drive up costs for American taxpayers" by reducing competitive bidding on projects.
