The CARES Act is a Critical Lifeline for Construction Industry, Small Business Community, Says ABC

WASHINGTON, March 27—Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen today issued the following statement about the signing of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which provides $2 trillion in federal funding and programs to address the ongoing coronavirus crisis:

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ABC Comments on DOL’s Final IRAP Rule

WASHINGTON, March 11—Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development Greg Sizemore today issued the following statement on the release of the final Department of Labor industry-recognized apprenticeship rule:

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ABC Applauds the NLRB Joint Employer Final Rule

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26—Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen today issued the following statement about key provisions in the National Labor Relations Board’s joint employer final rule, which will go into effect April 27, 2020:

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ABC Lauds Common-sense Regulation, Job Creation Policies in Trump’s State of the Union Speech

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4—Associated Builders and Contractors President and Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Bellaman today issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address:

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Florida Tops ABC’s Annual Merit Shop Scorecard State Ranking for Second Year in a Row

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9—Associated Builders and Contractors released its 2019 Merit Shop Scorecard today, an annual ranking based on state policies and programs that encourage workforce development, career and technical education, job growth, and promote fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction projects.

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ABC of Western Pennsylvania Files Suit Against Westmoreland County Union Mandate

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 23—Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Pennsylvania today filed a lawsuit to stop Westmoreland County from requiring its contractors to execute a project labor agreement with the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council as a condition of winning certain taxpayer-funded public works construction contracts. In addition, the county is requiring contractors to fire any worker on a PLA project who does not join a union affiliated with the Pittsburgh Regional Building Trades Council within eight days of employment, including union workers belonging to a union not represented by the council.

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ABC VP Greg Sizemore Appointed to OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health

WASHINGTON, June 17—Associated Builders and Contractors announced today that Greg Sizemore, ABC’s vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development, has been appointed to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health. ACCSH provides the U.S. Department of Labor with guidance to improve workplace safety and health in the construction industry.  Read the rest of entry »

ABC Applauds Passage of Texas Law Ensuring Fair and Open Competition

WASHINGTON, June 3—Associated Builders and Contractors today praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) for signing the Neutrality in State Government Contracting bill (HB 985), which protects Texas taxpayers by ensuring all of Texas’ skilled construction workforce can compete on a level playing field for public works contracts to build projects utilizing state funding or credit. Read the rest of entry »

ABC Comments on President Trump’s New Immigration Proposal

WASHINGTON, May 16—Associated Builders and Contractors President and CEO Michael Bellaman commented today on President Trump’s new immigration proposal, which would create a “merit-based” visa system to address the workforce needs of U.S. industries
like construction. Bellaman said: Read the rest of entry »

Making Tax Deductions Permanent Will Expand Economic Growth, Says ABC

WASHINGTON, April 15—According to Associated Builders and Contractors, the U.S. construction industry is still benefiting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which has helped small business owners grow their companies and workforce since its passage in December 2017. On Tax Day, ABC called on Congress to make the individual and pass-through small business deductions permanent—currently scheduled to sunset in 2025—and repeal the alternative minimum tax and the estate tax. Read the rest of entry »