Once again the Beacon Hill Institute releases a report that supports their position against PLAs.  It's not surprising  considering that they wrote the survey questions in so biased a manner the results are guaranteed.  Click here to read our Letter to the Editor exposing their tricks.

The Taunton City Council voted Tuesday night to penalize a New Bedford contractor working on the Taunton High/Parker School Project for failure to adhere to the City's so-called 50-50 ordinance.  Fernandes Masonry of New Bedford will lose 1 percent of its original bid amount, which is between $4.3 million and $4.5 million.

Improper installation of a kitchen exhaust duct system was one cause of the fire that killed two Boston firefighters.  The regulations are not a union or nonunion issue.  They are about keeping the public safe.

Despite its detractors, the evidence is clear: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is working and has helped our nation turn a corner through sound investments that are creating jobs, tax cuts for the middle class, and much-needed COBRA and unemployment insurance benefits for working Americans.

Non-union contractors have filed suit to block the implementation of new rules governing sheet-metal workers.  George Weber of the state’s division of professional licensure said: “The process of creating regulations for this board has been open, transparent, and has balanced the need for public safety with the interests of the industry.”

Springfield has amended plans for a new $125 million vocational high school to ensure that it includes requirements aimed at providing more construction jobs for local residents, minorities and women.  A large rally held Friday by labor groups and supporters, intended to object to the lack of the local hiring requirements, turned instead into happiness over the mayor's announcement.

The City of Springfield changes its mind after pressure from local blue collar workers who said they were being denied their share of work in a upcoming city project.  Mayor Sarno says the ordinance will be put in all future bids for local projects including the Forest Park Middle School.

Local tradesmen took to city hall Friday, to let the mayor know they want to work on the Putnam Vocational High School, a 120 million dollar project, as part of the Responsible Employer Ordinance.  It requires 35 percent of the jobs go to Springfield residents, 20 percent to people of color and five percent to women and apprentices.

The major goal of the stimulus money is to put people back to work, but locally, the building trades say they are still seeing 25 to 30 percent unemployment.  Team 5 Investigates found many stimulus projects involving federal buildings are going to out-of-state contractors and sub-contractors.