The Bay County Library will only hire a union contractor for their library’s construction and renovation project. Stephanie Corona, the construction manager, stated “They (nonunion companies) can hand the bids in, but I won’t issue a contract to them. This is just how it is.”

Corona still received 15 bids for the Pinconning Branch Library from nonunion bidders. The contractors said they submitted the bids to express disagreement with the policy. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy a Midland-based think tank estimates nonunion construction accounts for 80 percent of the market. This means that the union-only policy undercuts competition and increases costs.

The Bay County Building Authority hired Skanska USA Building Inc to oversee the 25.8 million project. When asked why Shanska entered the agreement Cornona declined to answer. Corona stated “I’m not going to sit here and go over the advantages. Everyone has their own philosophy. It’s a choice we decided to make. Period.”

Neavling, S. (2003). No Library work for nonunion bidders, The Bay City Time. Friday, August 15.