A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit which challenged Governor Branstad’s decision to get rid of one of Governor Culver’s requirements for state construction projects.
In February of 2010 former Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, issued an executive order which required so-called “project-labor agreements” for large-scale state government projects. Unions say the agreements structure projects so worker safety and the quality of construction are maintained. Republicans say they add undue costs to construction projects because higher union wages must be paid to workers.
Early this year, just after Republican Terry Branstad became governor, Branstad issued an executive order of his own. It prohibits the use of “project-labor agreements” on construction projects financed with state tax dollars and a U.S. District Court judge has tossed out a union-backed lawsuit challenging Branstad’s action. In his ruling, Judge John Jarvey said a state can decide not to pay union wages or operate under union conditions.