ABC members have sent nearly 3,700 messages to Congress through the ABC Action app in support of the Fair and Open Competition Act (H.R. 1209/S. 537), which was reintroduced in the 118th Congress by Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., on Feb. 28. Urge your members of Congress to support this ABC priority legislation.

ABC members and the nearly 7 million U.S. construction industry workers who choose not to join a labor union deserve a fair chance to rebuild America at a price that is right for taxpayers. The FOCA bill is key to ensuring that ABC contractors are able to compete to build America’s infrastructure on a level playing field that encourages competition from all qualified companies, without project labor agreement mandates. FOCA would also foster competition from small, minority- and women-owned federal contractors and their diverse workforces, which are disproportionately harmed by PLA mandates.

Government-mandated PLAs effectively cause many nonunion construction workers to experience wage theft, as workers lose an estimated 34% of wages and benefits earned on a PLA project unless they accept unwanted union representation, join a specific union, pay membership dues and meet the union benefits plans’ vesting requirements.

On Feb. 7, an ABC-led coalition of 22 construction industry and business associations sent a letter to Congress in support of the bill, urging them to immediately pass this commonsense legislation.

https://www.abc.org/Politics-Policy/Grassroots/ABC-Action-App/Action-Center?vvsrc=%2fCampaigns%2f100816%2fRespond