For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 6, 2001

Statement by the Press Secretary

Earlier this year the President issued an executive order relating to project labor agreements that is based on the principles of fairness and government neutrality.

President Bush believes in government neutrality in contracting decisions, which is why he signed the executive order ending the practice of requiring contractors working on federally funded projects from entering into project labor agreements. The order does not prohibit contractors from voluntarily entering into such agreements.

Several projects with pre-existing project labor agreements were underway at the time the executive order was issued.

The President listened to legitimate concerns raised by parties involved in the pre-existing projects and determined that the executive order should be amended to ensure that projects with pre-existing project labor agreements and contracts awarded under those agreements proceed on schedule and on budget.

President Bush believes that it is fair to all the parties that had begun work under a pre-existing project labor agreement to continue under the terms they had already agreed upon. He agrees that we should not change the rules in the middle of the game.

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