Republican 21st Congressional District candidate Matt Doheny says Pres. Barack Obama’s policy on federal construction projects favors labor unions.

And the Doheny campaign says that incumbent Rep. Bill Owens, Democrat of Plattsburgh, has voted four times against measures brought up in the House to either prohibit Project Labor Agreements as a requirement for federal construction projects or to give contractors the option.

“We simply cannot afford Bill Owens’ job-killing, budget busting, rights-denying agenda” said Doheny.

Doheny, bearing the Republican, Independence and Conservative parties’ banner in the November election, is visiting manufacturing and construction companies during his “50 Businesses, 50 Days” tour and is “listening to business owners” about project labor agreements.

“One of President Obama’s first executive orders was to push Project Labor Agreements for all federal construction work. My opponent has repeatedly supported this measure, although it is anti-competitive and drives up project costs,” said Doheny. “In doing so, our current congressman has remained faithful to the will of union bosses, who have donated more than $513,000 to his campaign.”

According to Doheny campaign workers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that just 15 percent of American contractors are unionized. Yet project labor agreements require contractors to obey union rules, hire union employees through union halls, and pay into union benefits.