PLA Removal at Fort Leonard Wood Strengthens Competition and Protects Taxpayers
ABC Heart of America is encouraged by the Department of Defense’s removal of a government-mandated project labor agreement from the 403873 FLW AIT Barracks Complex II Phase 2 project at Fort Leonard Wood. The amendment issued by the Contracting Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also extends the bid date to January 23, 2026, ensuring contractors have a fair opportunity to compete on equal footing.
This project will deliver new facilities to support the training and readiness of 600 soldiers. The Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Battalion Complex includes new barracks, company operations facilities, lawn equipment buildings, physical training stations, and essential systems related to safety, security, and anti-terrorism protection. These facilities shape the daily lives of young men and women preparing to serve our nation. They deserve timely, dependable construction driven by open competition and the full strength of the American construction workforce.
The decision to remove the PLA protects the project from further unnecessary cost escalation and delays. Those delays had already begun. A PLA mandate forces procurement officials to revise documents, adjust timelines, and narrow the pool of eligible contractors. None of this benefits Soldiers, the installation, or taxpayers. Removing the PLA puts the focus back where it belongs: delivering critical infrastructure that supports national security.
PLAs are frequently presented as a neutral administrative tool, but the reality is clear. They limit participation, raise costs, and sideline the workers and businesses that build Missouri and support our military installations. In practice, a union-only PLA would have excluded about 73 percent of Missouri’s construction workers. Such a restriction weakens competition and leaves fewer qualified bidders for a project of this importance.
ABC, independent research, and federal agencies have consistently found that PLAs increase construction costs by 12 to 20 percent. On a taxpayer-funded project tied to mission readiness, that is a preventable cost that adds no value. Reducing the bidding field also leads to higher prices, inefficiencies, and a greater likelihood of change orders and delays. The Army’s decision to course-correct strengthens the project’s ability to stay on schedule and on budget and to deliver for the Soldiers protecting our nation. PLAs also work against the interests of local workers and small businesses. Only 10.3 percent of the U.S. private construction workforce is unionized, yet construction unions and their affiliates continue to spend millions lobbying for PLA mandates that direct more public contracts to union-signatory firms. These agreements frequently bring in out-of-area workers rather than relying on the skilled local workforce that already delivers high-quality projects across Missouri.
In many cases, nonunion workers experience an estimated 34 percent loss in wages and benefits on PLA projects unless they join a union, accept representation, or meet separate union benefit vesting requirements. Workers are also typically required to pay into multiemployer pension programs that remain financially unstable and create long-term liabilities for taxpayers. These outcomes are not aligned with fair contracting practices or the responsible use of public dollars.
The situation at Fort Leonard Wood reflects a broader challenge facing federal construction. ABC National continues to lead efforts to oppose compulsory union-only PLAs on federal projects nationwide. These mandates steer publicly funded construction toward special interests and restrict opportunities for qualified contractors who employ the vast majority of America’s construction workforce. Mandated PLAs also weaken economic investment. When costs increase, fewer projects can be built. That means fewer jobs, reduced local spending, and, in many cases, higher taxes to maintain infrastructure commitments.
Our chapter works closely with ABC National to ensure lawmakers, federal agencies, and community leaders understand the real impact of PLA mandates. Open competition ensures that critical military installations, such as Fort Leonard Wood, can rely on the most capable teams available and support the workers building our nation.
America is strongest when competition is open, taxpayers are protected, and infrastructure is built by the full strength of our construction workforce. Removing the PLA at Fort Leonard Wood is another step in that direction.