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A dispute over union labor and the Dulles Metro Rail Project is escalating. In a letter to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Chairman, Virginia's Transportation Secretary and the Loudoun and Fairfax county executives are urging the authority to drop a plan they claim would unfairly benefit unions in the upcoming bidding process.
The letter follows legislation passed by the Republican-led Virginia General Assembly -- a bill Governor McDonnell intends to sign -- threatening to withdraw the state's $150 million contribution to Dulles Phase 2. Attorney Brian Petruska at the Laborers' International Union of America says this situation is ridiculous, and could prevent the same workforce from finishing the rail line.
Virginia is taking the position that whatever else MWAA wants to do, it absolutely can't do that, it can't use the same workers as Phase 1 on Phase 2, and the only reason is that they are union workers.
Republican lawmakers contend the Airports Authority's plan discriminates against non-union workers. This fight may eventually hit you in the pocketbook. Without Virginia's funding, the authority says tolls on the Dulles Toll Road will double to nearly nine bucks round trip.
A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self
Writings from childhood — cards, stories and other notes — can hide for decades, like time capsules tucked away in boxes, old bedrooms, attics and journals. Writer Jim Sollisch talks about how old thank you notes from his youth foreshadowed his adult life.Inside A Tart Cherry Revival: 'Somebody Needs To Do This!'
The revival is partly based on the humble sour fruit's growing reputation as a superfood. And in Michigan, a scientist is on a quest to introduce a whole new world of hardier, tastier tart cherries by breeding American trees with ancestral varieties from Eastern Europe.Srinivasan's Confirmation First For D.C. Circuit In 7 Years
The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the District of Columbia, though he had no formal opposition.3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway
A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.Leave a Comment
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