A Marion County judge issues a decision that blocks Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s executive order mandating project labor agreements (PLAs) on state-funded construction projects. The ruling affirms what Republicans have said all along: Kotek overstepped her authority with an unconstitutional power grab that has already driven up costs and hurt Oregon’s economy.

“Governor Kotek had no authority to unilaterally impose project labor agreements after the legislature repeatedly rejected them,” said Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). “This ruling is a victory for fairness, competition, and the rule of law in Oregon.”

A recent report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) highlights the devastating economic consequences of the Governor’s now-blocked mandate. According to CSI, requiring PLAs for state-funded construction projects could have increased costs by up to 20%. Even a 10% rise in construction costs would have led to the loss of over 33,000 jobs by 2030 and nearly 28,000 jobs by 2040—a blow Oregon’s economy cannot afford.

The report also underscores how restrictive PLAs would have made it harder for the vast majority of Oregon’s construction workers to compete for state contracts. Fewer than 20% of Oregon’s construction workforce is unionized, yet the PLA mandate would have forced contractors to comply with union hiring hall requirements and duplicative benefit costs. This would have disproportionately harmed non-union, minority-owned, and local businesses—some of the very groups the Governor claims to support.

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“Oregonians deserve policies that encourage open competition, not backroom deals that favor special interests,” Bonham continued. “Now that the court has spoken, the governor should finally respect the constitutional process and abandon this misguided policy once and for all.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-03-27 13:23:35

Last Update: 2025-03-27 23:49:51