On Aug. 24, 2016, the Obama administration issued the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces (or “blacklisting”) final rule, which would have threatened federal contractors’ due process rights, injected unwarranted subjectivity into the federal acquisition process and added needless and duplicative layers of bureaucracy.
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Anti-competitive and costly government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) end open, fair and competitive bidding on contracts to build taxpayer-funded construction projects. Government-mandated PLAs discourage merit shop contractors from bidding on taxpayer-funded construction contracts and drive up costs between 12 percent and 18 percent, which results in fewer infrastructure improvements and reduced construction industry job creation.
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More than 80 years old, the Davis-Bacon Act is a wage subsidy law administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that mandates so-called “prevailing” wages for work performed on federally financed construction projects. Davis-Bacon hinders economic growth, increases the federal deficit, imposes enormous burdens that stifle contractor productivity, ignores skill differences for different jobs and imposes rigid craft work rules.
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The five-member National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is tasked with interpreting and enforcing the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The agency is supposed to serve as a neutral arbiter of federal labor law.
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Under the Obama administration, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) finalized a rule designed to eviscerate employers’ rights to free speech, freedom of association and legal counsel. Known as the “persuader” rule, this rule would have had a profound, chilling effect on labor relations advice for employers, and in turn deprived employees of their right to obtain balanced information about union representation.
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As Congress continues to pursue reforms to fix our nation’s broken immigration system, ABC is committed to supporting immigration policies that address the workforce needs of the construction industry.
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The commercial construction industry has a unique interest in energy policy, as it represents not only a large-scale energy consumer, but also acts as a key facilitator of domestic energy exploration, production and transportation. Furthermore, construction employs more than six million Americans who bear the brunt of fluctuating prices at the pump and in their homes and businesses.
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Providing quality health care benefits is a top priority for ABC and its member companies. ABC continues to advocate for policies that would address the skyrocketing costs of health insurance and provide greater choice. The massive and complex Affordable Care Act (ACA) fails to lower health insurance premiums for hard-working Americans and imposes new taxes as well as costly and burdensome federal mandates on ABC member companies.
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Independent contractors are an important part of the construction industry due to its fluctuating work demands and are often the answer to a pressing demand for the special skills and know-how required for short-term projects.
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ABC member companies believe safety is a core value, above all others, and is the basis of their culture. ABC understands the importance of common-sense regulations based on sound evidence and scientific analysis with appropriate consideration paid to implementation costs and input from employers. Many ABC companies have implemented safety programs that are among the best programs in the industry, often far exceeding legal requirements. Under the Trump administration, we hope the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will focus on collaborative efforts with employers to make workplaces safer.
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ABC is committed to reforming the broken federal regulatory process and ensuring industry stakeholders' voices are heard and rights are protected.
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All workers, in every industry, deserve the fundamental American right to a federally supervised secret ballot election. This right is guaranteed when voting in political elections; there is no reason it should be surrendered in the workplace.
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Right to Work laws guarantee workers can seek employment without fearing they will be required to join (or pay) a union if they are hired.
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Salting is not merely an organizing tool—it has become an instrument of economic destruction aimed at nonunion companies.
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While the construction industry historically has paid the highest effective tax rate of any economic sector in the country, with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1), a clear majority of construction companies will benefit from the new 20 percent deduction for qualified pass-through income.
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There are limitless opportunities through government defined and industry workforce development programs to build the American workforce. Through innovative and unique platforms, all Americans can develop skills to achieve their dreams.
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