EAST NORRITON, Pa., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC SEPA) today announced the launch of a campaign opposing the union-only Project Labor Agreement (PLA) being used on the $400 million expansion of the State Correctional Institute (SCI) at Graterford in Montgomery County. The Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) and Gov. Ed Rendell have decided to allow only union construction workers on this project, discriminating against more than 75 percent of the region's construction employees that have chosen not to join a union.

"These Philadelphia-style, union-only PLAs are discriminatory and un-American," stated Geoffrey Zeh, president and CEO of ABC SEPA. "Hard-working, open-shop construction workers and their employers are funding this project; however, the majority of them are being excluded from working on the project. This job, like any construction project, should be focused on value, quality, safety, training and experience and open to all qualified contractors without regard to their labor affiliation. The use of a PLA will increase costs to taxpayers by excluding open-shop contractors and reducing competition."

The marketing campaign designed to increase the awareness of these discriminatory PLAs includes print advertisements titled "My Daddy Can't Work on the Graterford Prison Project" that will run in The Reporter and Times Herald newspapers. It also includes 60-second radio commercials; a traveling billboard; a resource section on ABC SEPA's website; hand bills; letters to the DGS, Gov. Rendell and Montgomery County legislators and officials; as well as other marketing and public relations tactics.

In addition to the Graterford Prison project, ABC is also opposing two other PLAs in Pennsylvania at the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte and the SCI at Forest located in Marienville, Forest County.

ABC is a national association representing more than 25,000 Merit Construction and construction-related firms in 79 chapters across the United States. The Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter represents almost 500 member companies from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

For more information please contact Tammy Zelahy, Vice President, Public Relations, ABC SEPA at 610-279-6666 or at tzelahy@abcsepa.org.

SOURCE Associated Builders & Contractors