On Friday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would provide an additional 15,000 H-2B visas for non-agricultural seasonal workers. Earlier this year, Congress included a provision in the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus spending bill that allowed for DHS to increase the number of H-2B visas above the 66,000 statutory cap.

On May 16, ABC Legislative Affairs staff participated in the Prior Approval Reform Coalition Hill Day and met with members of Congress about the discriminatory and burdensome “prior approval” requirement for corporate member trade association political action committees. The coalition met with 99 members’ offices and encouraged representatives to sign on as cosponsors to Rep. Mark Amodei’s (R-Nev.) H.R. 2101, the Prior Approval Reform Act.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division released several videos that will assist employers with complying with the requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

On March 28, Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) signed legislation into law that will combat the current construction industry labor shortage in Wisconsin. The new law prevents more than one journeyman being required to oversee the work of an apprentice. 

On March 13, a bipartisan group of ten U.S. Representatives visited the ABC Metro Washington Chapter’s CraftMasters Training Trust. House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va.) led the delegation to the 10,000-square-foot facility in Beltsville, Md., and met with Chapter President Debbie Livingston, instructors and enrollees in the programs. 

On March 7, 2018, ABC was part of a coalition that sent a letter to congressional appropriators asking them to include language in the omnibus spending bill that defunds the enforcement of the “prior authorization” requirement for trade association Political Action Committees.

On March 1, ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman joined members of Congress, senior committee staff, key industry stakeholders and top administration officials for discussions on the challenges of writing and passing a package to revitalize America’s infrastructure.

In a Dec. 19, 2017 Newsline article, ABC reported that the Republican majority members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overruled the board’s 2015 decision in Browning-Ferris Industries and returned to the previous joint employer standard that was in place for more than 30 years. The reversal was a victory for employers nationwide. However, on Feb. 26, the NLRB moved to vacate a recent joint employer decision (Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors Ltd.) and as a result, the board’s December action on the Browning-Ferris Industries is of no force or effect.

On Feb. 15, ABC joined the Coalition to Save Local Business in a letter to Senate Leadership recommending that the Senate take up and pass H.R. 3441, the Save Local Business Act. H.R. 3441 will restore the “joint employer” standard that has been in place for over 30 years, bringing stability back into the economy for contractors and subcontractors across the country.

On Feb. 12, President Donald Trump announced the release of his administration’s infrastructure proposal. ABC President and CEO Michael D. Bellaman issued the following statement on the president’s infrastructure plan: “ABC applauds the president for sending Congress a plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure. It is now time for lawmakers to develop legislation and policy to efficiently modernize America’s infrastructure and drive economic growth and prosperity for all Americans."