On June 3, Reps. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., hosted a briefing on the use of project labor agreements and the effects on the American construction workforce. Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, joined other state and industry stakeholders to discuss the Biden administration’s final rule mandating PLAs on federal construction projects of $35 million or more that went into effect on Jan. 22.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council’s final rule, Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects, took effect on Jan. 22. The final rule implements President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14063, which requires federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subjected to controversial project labor agreements.

ABC members and chapters are encouraged to register for an ABC members-only webinar from 2 to 3:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, where experts will discuss the rule, the OMB memo and ABC’s legal, advocacy and public relations strategies to fight federal PLA requirements.

On Jan. 4, ABC authored a coalition letter to Congress signed by 23 organizations opposing the final rule and urging members to co-sponsor the ABC-backed Fair and Open Competition Act. In addition, Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, authored a Fox Business op-ed on the Biden PLA rule, which ran on Jan. 4.

States across the country held legislative, gubernatorial, local and judicial elections yesterday, as well as considered a variety of hot-button issues on ballot initiatives. In almost every instance, Democrats carried the night, delivering a resounding blow to GOP optimism as focus shifts toward the 2024 elections.