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Politics & Policy
ABC’s September Regulatory Roundup—Learn About the Latest Developments Affecting the Construction Industry
ABC Disappointed in NLRB’s Cemex Decision
NLRB Revives Controversial 2014 ‘Ambush’ Election Rule; ABC Opposes Again
Safety
Build Health and Safety Engagement Through Leadership Commitment and Metrics Tied to Leading Indicators
Is Your PPE and Mobile Equipment as Safe as You Think It Is?
President Biden Announces Heat Safety Actions, Including DOL Hazard Alert
Events/Products/Programs
Nearly 350 ABC Leaders Gather in Washington for Annual Legislative Conference
ABC Members Rank Among ENR’s Top 400 Contractors
Trades Day: Industry Outreach Opportunity With Meaning
State/Local News
Ed Capodanno Honored by Delaware State Legislature
Election Update: ABC Staff and Members Elected in 2022
California Targets Workplace Cannabis Testing
Awards
ABC's Construction Executive Magazine Wins Silver in Publishing Competition
Legislation
ABC-Supported Legislation To Overturn the Northern Long-Eared Bat’s Endangered Species Listing Heads to President Biden’s Desk
ABC Advocates for Solutions to Workforce Shortage at U.S. House Committee Roundtable
Smucker Introduces the ABC-Supported Main Street Tax Certainty Act
Regulations
Take the Survey: ABC Needs Your Input on President Biden’s IRA Mandates by Oct. 2
Biden Administration’s Inflationary PLA Mandate Policy Nears Release
Workforce Development
Register Now for ABC’s Construction Inclusion Week Webinar Series
DOL High Road Workforce Development Program Map Snubs Nonunion Programs
LISTEN: How to Design an Effective Technology Adoption Strategy
ABC joined a coalition of construction and business associations urging President Trump to eliminate government-mandated project labor agreements and allow for the vast majority of qualified contractors and their skilled employees to compete for federal and federally assisted taxpayer-funded construction projects. In the coalition’s March 14 letter, the group called on President Trump to rescind President Obama’s Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies, on a case-by-case basis, to require project labor agreements on federal construction projects exceeding $25 million in total value and permits states and localities to mandate PLAs on federally assisted projects. “With the current construction boom contributing to a severe shortage of skilled labor, a new fair and inclusive policy encouraging all Americans to compete to rebuild their community’s schools and infrastructure would be a win-win for taxpayers and the U.S. economy,” said ABC Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs Ben Brubeck. “And with a projected 10-year, $2 trillion infrastructure investment gap in the United States, a policy ensuring taxpayers get the best possible infrastructure at the best possible price is essential to rebuilding America.” The coalition highlighted that studies of hundreds of taxpayer-funded school construction projects found that PLA mandates increased the cost of construction by 12 to 18 percent compared to similar non-PLA projects. In addition, PLAs unfairly discourage competition from quality contractors and their nonunion workers, who comprise of 87.2 percent of the U.S. private construction industry, according to recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. ABC and industry groups have repeatedly petitioned President Trump to rescind President Obama’s Executive Order 13502 and replace it with Executive Orders 13202 and 13208, which would prohibit PLAs from being required on federal and federally assisted construction projects, respectively. A total of 24 states have passed measures restricting government-mandated PLAs, allowing the free market—not the government—to determine if a PLA is appropriate for a construction project, according to the letter. Additionally, in a December 2018 membership survey, ABC found its members strongly oppose government-mandated PLAs on taxpayer-funded construction contracts and said a construction contract that required a PLA would be more expensive and result in poor local hiring outcomes compared to a contract procured via free and open competition.