ABC MA representatives met last week with Governor Maura Healey about her recent Executive Order on PLAs.
At the meeting, which took place on Thursday, March 20 in the Governor’s Office at the State House, ABC leaders emphasized the negative impact of PLAs on the 83.4 percent of the MA construction workforce that is not unionized and their cost increases for the Commonwealth.
Governor Healey said the Executive Order does not mean there will be fundamental change to public construction in Massachusetts. She added she wants and needs ABC members to continue to participate in state projects.
Governor Healey emphasized that her order, unlike the PLA order issued by President Biden, does not mandate PLAs. She the types of projects where PLAs may be used would be those that are unique, such as the Big Dig.
The representatives asked the Governor to include ABC MA in her administration’s discussions on PLAs. Gov. Healey said she considered the meeting to be the first of ongoing conversations.
ABC leaders attending the meeting included chair Luiza Mills, First Vice Chair D’Von Myles and Past Chairs John Anderson and John Cruz. Also attending were ABC members who perform significant public construction work.
The meeting with Governor Healey was followed by a special meeting of the ABC MA Board of Directors on 3/31/24. The Board discussed ABC plans and allocated dedicated funding that can be used in our communications/PR, legal and legislative efforts on PLAs.
“We are on the right side of this issue and our Board is united in supporting ABC’s efforts to combat costly and discriminatory PLA,” said ABC MA President Greg Beeman.