Contact: Jeff Leieritz (202) 905-2104              [email protected]

For Immediate Release November 7, 2014

Washington, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), along with 19 other business trade groups, requested that President Obama withdraw the “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” Executive Order (E.O. 13673) in a letter addressed to U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Thomas Perez and Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Muñoz. 

ABC has consistently opposed the E.O. since it was issued July 31, and participated in an Oct. 10, White House listening session with Secretary Perez and Director Munoz.

“This executive order dramatically changes the enforcement mechanisms carefully put in place by Congress and needlessly adds uncertainty, subjectivity and onerous and costly new data collection and reporting requirements for federal contractors,” said ABC Vice President of Government Affairs Geoff Burr. “While the Obama administration seeks to add these compliance burdens to federal contractors, it is seemingly ignoring the fact that its own Department of Labor and other federal agencies have violated these same complex and frequently changing federal labor laws. 

“We believe that bad actors should be held accountable and we are supportive of efforts to improve and streamline the federal procurement process that will result in a better system for taxpayers, contractors and the American workers, but the impact of this executive order will run counter to those goals,” said Burr. “ABC, along with other business groups that represent the federal contracting community, remains committed to fighting this order in the courts and in Congress should it not be withdrawn.”

To read the entire letter sent to the White House and DOL click here.
 

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national construction industry trade association representing nearly 21,000 chapter members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC and its 70 chapters help members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically, profitably and for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at www.abc.org.