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THE VOICE OF THE MERIT SHOP

ABC is the voice of the merit shop on Capitol Hill! Sending letters to Congress allows ABC to publicly advocate for the views and interests of our more than 23,000 members. By corresponding with U.S. House of Representatives and Senate members, ABC promotes fair and open competition in the construction industry and fights to protect merit shop contractors around the country.

House Committee Advances Legislation to Support Independent Contractors and Clarify the Joint Employer Standard

On July 23, the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a markup of legislation that supports independent contractors and clarifies the joint employer standard. Ahead of the hearing, ABC sent letters of support to the committee for three key bills, all of which were reported favorably for a full House vote:

  • The Modern Worker Empowerment Act (H.R. 1319) provides clarity for workers and businesses by establishing a common-sense definition for independent contractor status across federal law. H.R. 1319 passed in a 19-16 vote. See ABC’s letter of support.
  • The Modern Worker Security Act (H.R. 1320) clarifies that independent workers can participate in innovative programs designed to connect them with portable, work-related benefits without fear of potentially jeopardizing their independent contractor status under federal law. H.R. 1320 passed in a 19-16 vote. See ABC’s letter of support.
  • The Save Local Business Act (H.R. 4366) would amend the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act to clarify that an entity is only a joint employer if it directly and immediately exercises meaningful control over workers’ essential terms and conditions of employment. H.R. 4366 passed in a 20-16 vote. See the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace letter of support here and ABC’s statement on the bill here.