Mike James
The Independent
FRANKFORT —
A contractors’ association says the Carter County School District’s construction agreement with a union group violated the law and that the district shouldn’t be allowed to sign any contracts under the agreement.
Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, which represents about 700 companies, claims the district gave improper preference to union contractors when it signed a project labor agreement with the Tri-State Building and Construction Trades Council for the construction of Tygart Creek Elementary School.
The association filed a suit in Franklin Circuit Court Wednesday asking the court to stop the district from awarding bids under the agreement.
The agreement stifles competition by imposing union rules on contractors who work on the project, according to the suit.
“It excludes 92 percent of Kentucky open-shop contractors,” said Richard Vincent, executive vice president of the association. “We will vigorously defend our membership for the right to compete on construction projects.”
The agreement requires workers to be union members and requires contractors to hire workers from local union halls and follow union work rules, and that workers receive union wages and benefits and pay union dues and fees, according to the suit.
The association claims the requirement to abide by union requirements and practices stifles competition, and so do requirements to hire 75 percent of workers locally. It claims the requirements will deter its members from bidding.
The association believes two board members, Brian Greenhill and Chris Patrick, should have refrained from voting on the agreement because they belong to unions that are part of the Tri-State Building and Construction Trades Council.
Carter County Superintendent Darlene Gee said Wednesday she couldn’t comment because she hadn’t seen the suit.
MIKE JAMES can be reached at mjames@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2652.
