In a memo released to agencies Friday, President Clinton suggested that department heads award construction contracts to unionized companies.
Clinton wrote that the memo is part of the administration's effort to implement performance standards and minimize costs by "encouraging departments and agencies to consider project labor agreements as another tool to achieve economy and efficiency in federal construction projects."
Clinton had planned to issue the memo as an executive order, but Republicans responded by tying up Alexis Herman's nomination to be labor secretary earlier this year.
Business groups gave the President's move mixed reviews.
"This memorandum is an improvement over the executive order President Clinton was threatening to sign last month, but we oppose any White House document that gives labor unions preferential treatment in the federal bidding process," John Jennings, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors, told the Associated Press.
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