Thursday, April 23, 1998

Gore: Government will try to get unionized companies contracts

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Al Gore, declaring the nation's labor unions are recovering their strength and organizing power, said Wednesday that the administration will "aggressively pursue" linking federal construction contracts to unionized companies.

Gore told the leadership conference of the building trades department of the AFL-CIO that Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater will begin a new effort this week to encourage the use of project-labor agreements on major construction programs initiated by the Federal Highway Administration and other DOT agencies.

The administration's previous efforts to issue an executive order encouraging such contracts was effectively blocked last year in the skirmishing over Clinton's successful nomination of Alexis Herman to be secretary of Labor.

Many business leaders have opposed efforts by federal agencies to bar contracts to companies that don't have satisfactory labor and employment practices. They contend such contracts would increase costs to taxpayers.

Gore has long championed such arrangements, saying they help unions protect working families.

The Transportation Department said Slater wrote to all DOT agencies, stressing the cost-saving possibilities of such contracts with their potential to avoid disruptive labor disputes. The memo urged department field representatives to encourage state and local authorities, who spend most federal highway construction dollars, to consider the advantages of such contracts.

Declaring himself a part of a "pro-union, pro-labor administration," Gore said that after a long period of decline, organized labor has reached a "turning point" and is increasing both membership and influence.

The vice president said an important way that is being done is through union programs that train new workers and enable others to hone existing skills and add new ones.

That leads to quality work and cost-efficient construction projects, he asserted.

Gore cited congressional testimony in which contracts said that project-labor contracts do not increase costs but lead to projects completed on schedule and at or below projected costs.

In his speech, Gore also repeated President Clinton's pledge to veto any legislation Congress passes that bars union sympathizers from joining nonunion shops by permitting contractors to deny them employment.

He said proponents of such legislation refer to the practice as unfair "salting" and said to the union audience: "Apparently they don't like the flavor you bring to the table."

"If they send 'salting' to President Clinton, he will veto it," Gore said to cheers.