President Trump Rolls Back Failed Biden Policies Pushing Project Labor Agreements on Federally Assisted Construction Jobs
Breaking News: It is St. Patrick’s Day and construction industry stakeholders, taxpayers and free enterprise advocates have another reason to celebrate: President Trump has rolled back failed Biden administration executive orders and policies pushing project labor agreements on federally assisted construction projects. Read more below for more details. Trump Rescinds Certain Failed Biden Policies on […]
U.S. House and Senate Introduce Fair and Open Competition Act in 119th Congress
The 119th Congress has introduced the Fair and Open Competition Act with a record-breaking number of original cosponsors and broad construction industry and pro-taxpayer stakeholder support. Urge your lawmakers to cosponsor this important legislation prohibiting anti-competitive and inflationary government-mandated project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted construction projects via this grassroots campaign today. ABC […]
U.S Department of Veterans Affairs Halts Inflationary Project Labor Agreement Mandates on Construction Projects
The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs announced the reversal of a controversial Biden administration policy mandating project labor agreements on solicitations for construction contracts of $35 million or more. The policy change is expected to restore merit-based competition for taxpayer-funded construction contracts to build Veterans Affairs hospitals, outpatient facilities, office buildings, national cemeteries and other […]
A Record-High 89.7% of US Construction Industry Workforce Are Not Union Members
According to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2024 Union Members Summary released Jan. 28, 2025, a record low 10.3% of the U.S. construction industry belongs to a union, a decrease from the prior historic low of 10.7% in 2023. BLS reports that 7,978,000 construction industry workers were […]
Restoring Fair and Open Competition on Federal and Federally Assisted Construction Projects Would Save Taxpayers At Least $10 Billion Annually
The Trump administration has an incredible opportunity to rebuild America’s infrastructure better and faster with a commonsense policy change expected to save taxpayers at least $10 billion annually on federal and federally assisted construction projects procured by local, state and federal governments, according to new analysis by Associated Builders and Contractors. By replacing inflationary Biden […]
How Will The 2020 Election Shape Federal Policy on Project Labor Agreements?
The construction industry is watching the outcome of the 2020 elections closely as it will shape federal policy regarding government-mandated project labor agreements and other hot-button labor and employment issues of importance to the construction industry.
2020 Update: ABC’s Fight Against Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements
In February 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to mandate project labor agreements on large-scale federal construction projects exceeding $25 million in total cost on a case-by-case basis and permits recipients of federal assistance to mandate PLAs on state and local public works projects. Many merit shop advocates and public policy professionals predicted […]
House Lawmakers Ask President Trump to Eliminate Obama Policy Promoting Project Labor Agreements
Last week, U.S. House lawmakers urged President Trump to rescind a costly Obama administration policy encouraging the use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). The letter (pdf) signed by 44 House Republican lawmakers, urges President Trump to rescind Executive Order 13502, “which strongly encourages federal agencies, on a case-by-case basis, to consider requiring project labor agreements […]
ABC Touts Benefits of Fair and Open Competition on Varney from The White House
Topping out a successful Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) Legislative Week 2018, ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman gave a June 29, 2018, interview with Fox Business’ Stuart Varney from the White House where he touted the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to the construction industry and promoted the value of fair and open competition […]
Op-Ed Offers Solution to Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreement Problem
The Hill published an op-ed by ABC CEO and President Michael Bellaman laying out three key policy recommendations for Congress and the Trump administration to enact in order to continue the construction industry’s positive economic growth (“Time for Cogress to bolster Trump’s roadmap for rebuilding America,” 6/27/18). The op-ed is part of ABC’s one powerful […]