Excludes nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. construction workers Last month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order requiring project labor agreements on federal construction project over $35 million. The White House claimed that the order will help ease management concerns and organization on large construction projects. “This is terrible public policy,” said Dan Bond, president of the Metro Washington …
The latest Senate bill once again puts an undue burden on small businesses operating in good faith. Senate Bill 1/House Bill 145: State Finance and Procurement – Prevailing Wage – Stop Work Orders is a priority piece of legislation introduced on behalf of a handful of smaller unions seeking to disrupt companies who have chosen not to work union. In …
ABC Maryland’s concern with recreational cannabis use has always been deeply rooted in the safety of our skilled and valuable workforce. Maintaining safety on a constantly changing construction site is challenging enough. Infusing that same site with impaired workers would only make it significantly more difficult to achieve job site safety. ABC Maryland remains neutral on the legalization of recreational …
The 444th Session of the Maryland General Assembly began on January 13th. As you will see, the session will be hybrid in nature this year as opposed to the fully virtual session we experienced last year. This session preview will give an overview of the policies and procedures that will impact the members of ABC and its advocacy for open competition and free …
Despite a world-wide pandemic, , social distancing, and virtual hearings, the Maryland General Assembly was still able to introduce over 2,300 bills during its 90-day session. ABC identified a list of bills that were given a priority status in terms of our support or opposition. Here is a synopsis of these bills including ABC’s position and the final disposition of …
Legislation that would provide a broad array of benefits and protections to those workers who continue working during a state-declared emergency is being debated in the Maryland General Assembly. And while the stated goal of the bill [HB 0581; SB 486] would be to safeguard those workers who would be at increased risk, some of the bill’s provisions, such as …
The construction industry continues to experience a skilled worker shortage. The Maryland Department of Labor projects the need for more than 40,000 construction workers by 2026. Across Maryland and the Greater Washington, DC region, four ABC chapters provide exceptional skills and career training to the next generation of construction craft workers. Even the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped ABC’s mission of …
Thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland’s 2021 legislative session will have a different look and feel in both the Senate and House. To get through the typical 90-day session, each chamber has imposed two distinct reopening approaches to the session because of their respective sizes. As we’ve learned throughout the pandemic, everything is subject to change. For now, here’s …
ABC Greater Baltimore’s President, Mike Henderson, weighs in on Project Labor Agreement in Baltimore city. Read more HERE.
The Baltimore City Council is considering legislation that would have devastating consequences for the local contractors and the local workforce, not to mention the economic health of the City and region. The ‘Baltimore City Project Labor Agreement’ (ordinance 20-0488) would require all contractors on City-funded projects amounting to $25 million or more to employ strictly union labor. Capital improvement projects …