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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
Graham Roofing Earns the AQC Credential in September
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
OSHA Announces Silica-Focused Inspection Initiative in the Engineered Stone Fabrication and Installation Industries
Take the Survey: Input Needed by Oct. 2 on President Biden’s IRA Mandates
Take the Survey: ABC Needs Your Input on President Biden’s IRA Mandates by Oct. 2
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
On Oct. 9, the Honolulu City Council passed a highly contentious ordinance that will require the city to negotiate a “community workforce agreement” with the Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council, the Hawaii Construction Alliance and their affiliated labor unions for certain public works projects. The city says the ordinance will apply to “critical city projects” in which the city has a particular interest in timely and cost-efficient project completion. The CWA will largely apply to critical road, wastewater, drainage and park improvement projects.
The CWA, which is also referred to as a project labor agreement, is a collective bargaining agreement between the City of Honolulu and local labor unions that governs the terms and conditions of employment on all eligible projects. Bill 37 defines eligible projects as “any large-scale public works project, including any road, wastewater, drainage, building infrastructure or park improvement project, in which there is a contract for construction procurement in excess of $2,000,000.”
Effectively, Bill 37 will prevent nearly two-thirds of the licensed contractors in the State of Hawaii from using their own skilled workforce to fulfill projects covered by the City of Honolulu’s ordinance. In fact, merit shop contractors will likely refrain from bidding on projects covered by the legislation, which will drive up the cost of publicly funded projects. Research conducted by the Beacon Hill Institute consistently demonstrates that mandating CWAs and PLAs drives up the cost of construction projects by 12-18%.
Although the ordinance is expected to be signed by Mayor Kirk Caldwell, questions remain over the legality of Bill 37. In testimony, opponents of the bill noted that the ordinance may violate both state and federal laws. Representatives from ABC Hawaii questioned whether the city’s ordinance would violate the Hawaii Procurement Code, and at the federal level ABC Hawaii argued that the law would infringe on a 2018 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME, which states that public sector union fees violate employees’ First Amendment right to free speech.