UMass project must use unions
Critics say move will boost costs
A state authority voted this week to mandate the use of union workers on a $750 million overhaul of the University of Massachusetts Boston campus, a contentious decision already making waves in the race for governor.
For Patrick’s Republican opponent, Charles D. Baker, the vote fits into a broader critique of the governor’s leadership. Baker has argued that so-called Project Labor Agreements — which require companies that bid on construction work to hire union workers, in exchange for agreeing not to strike — are among many Beacon Hill practices that favor politically powerful interests at the expense of taxpayers. He has pledged to end them in state contracts if elected.
In a statement yesterday, he asserted that the UMass agreement could add $100 million to the cost of the project, a figure that roughly corresponds to research cited by critics of such agreements but disputed by unions.
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