Contact: Jeff Leieritz (202) 905-2104               [email protected]

For Immediate Release April 9, 2014

Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) praised today’s U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce markup of The Workforce Democracy and Fairness Act (H.R. 4320) and The Employee Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 4321), which halt key elements of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) “ambush” election proposed rule.

The legislation was introduced by House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), respectively. 

“ABC opposes the erosion of workplace rights, especially when current NLRB statistics show that the median time between when a union files a petition and the election takes place is 38 days and that union bosses are already winning 65 percent of elections,” said ABC Vice President of Government Affairs Geoff Burr. “We are encouraged by today’s markup and will continue to lead the fight against ambush elections and unfair workplace practices through every available avenue.” 

ABC has consistently opposed the NLRB’s proposed changes as unfair to employers and employees and has raised privacy concerns over the proposal’s distribution of employee’s personal contact information. The association was joined by more than 1,200 ABC members in filing comments requesting the NLRB withdraw its ambush election proposal. In addition, the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace filed comments against the proposed rule with support from more than 140 local organizations, including
over 40 ABC chapters. 

In addition to filing written comments and supporting the House’s legislative fix, ABC’s General Counsel, Maury Baskin, will testify at the NLRB’s public meeting on the ambush rule in Washington, D.C., April 10 and 11. The board has released an agenda of speakers and speaking times and plans to webcast the public meeting in its entirety at http://www.nlrb.gov/openmeeting. 


Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association representing nearly 21,000 chapter members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically, profitably and for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at www.abc.org.