A group of lawmakers Sept. 9 introduced ABC-supported legislation to help restore the “joint employer” standard under the National Labor Relations Act that has been in place for over 30 years. The standard was overturned by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in its Aug. 27 ruling in the Browning-Ferris Industries of California case.

The legislation, the Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act (S. 2015/ H.R. 3459), was introduced by U.S. Senate Health, Education Labor & Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety Chairman Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), and Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Chairman Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.). The bill currently has 25 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives and 36 co-sponsors in the U.S. Senate.

In a letter to the chairmen, ABC thanked them for introducing the important legislation, which will help provide additional stability for contractors, subcontractors and their employees by restoring the decades old “joint employer” standard.

In its letter, ABC cited the dissenting opinion written by the two Republican members of the NLRB, stating that the NLRB’s ruling will “subject countless entities to unprecedented new joint-bargaining obligations that most do not even know they have, to potential liability for unfair labor practices and breaches of collective bargaining agreements, and to economic protest activity, including what have heretofore been unlawful secondary strikes, boycotts and picketing.”

In addition, ABC is hosting a free member-only webinar on the "joint employer” ruling, Friday Sept. 18 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. The webinar will be hosted by ABC National General Counsel, Maury Baskin and will explain the impact of the decision on the construction industry.

Register here for the webinar.