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Both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives held hearings in early May featuring testimony from U.S. Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie Su, the sole witness at both events, to review the president’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Request for the Department of Labor and discuss the policies and priorities of the department.
On April 9, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the ABC-supported H.R.6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, in a 378-26 vote. Ahead of the House floor consideration, ABC sent a letter in support of the legislation. “Since its passage in 1998, WIOA has been a crucial asset to the construction industry, aiding in securing funds for workforce development efforts and assisting those seeking new jobs and employment. However, since WIOA’s bipartisan reauthorization in 2014, the construction industry has faced new challenges and a workforce shortage that has left many contractors throughout the country in desperate need of qualified, skilled craft professionals,” the letter noted. “To ensure the workforce is equipped to meet industry demand, ABC is committed to pursuing policies and legislation like H.R. 6655 that address these unique challenges.”
On March 21, ABC wrote a letter in support of H.R. 7784, the Start Applying Labor Transparency Act or SALT Act (introduced by Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah), which would amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. Its purpose is to clarify that labor organizations and their consultants must report when they engage in a coercive tactic known as “salting”—a process where unions send professionally trained organizers into merit shop workplaces under the guise of seeking employment.
On March 25, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce passed the ABC-supported H.J. Res. 116, the Congressional Review Act resolution to nullify the U.S. Department of Labor’s independent contractor final rule, in a 21-13 vote with all Republicans present voting in support.