Master Builders of Iowa

The construction industry will be targeted by the Obama Administration in its efforts to enhance enforcement on a wide array of worker protection laws.  In particular is Davis-Bacon compliance and job site safety.  The attached article from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) provides greater detail on exactly what is in store from our friends at the Department of Labor.

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Construction industry leaders from throughout the state showed up to participate in the 10th Annual Construction Golf Classic and Smoker. Nearly 140 golfers teed it up for a day of great golf, food, beverages and cigars to the benefit of the MBI-PAC. Over $44,000 was raised for the MBI-PAC where these funds will help to support and elect pro-business, pro-construction candidates. It was a great show of construction industry support!

A recent news story reported that Cedar Rapids City Councilman Justin Shields is pushing his colleagues on the Cedar Rapids City Council to not accept the low apparent bid on rebuilding efforts for a Cedar Rapids Police Department project.  The current low apparent bidder is not from Cedar Rapids proper, but from a nearby city.  Councilman Shields is insisting that local projects should to go to local contractors.  At first blush, it sounds reasonable, especially if you are defined by Councilman Shields as a “local contractor”. However, Councilman Shield’s arguments are flawed.  First and foremost, such actions are illegal.  Secondly, history proves that building “preference” fences, only hurt those you are trying to help. 

The Linn County Board of Supervisors are giving serious consideration to a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) on the reconstruction of the Linn County Administrative Office Building.  For those of you new to the concept of a PLA, it is a collective bargaining agreement negotiated between a construction project owner (Linn County) and labor unions and in order for contractors wanting work on the public project, they must first sign onto the collective bargaining agreement / PLA document.  In doing so, the contractor agrees staff the project as if it were a union contractor.  

We believe that any action which requires an open shop worker to go through the union hall to work on the project and thus subjects that worker to the union’s system of placement priority effectively denies that person a job is not in the spirit of the right to work law.  Moreover, under the terms of the proposed Linn County PLA, a merit-shop contractor is forced to submit a list of "core employees" eligible to do work on the project.  This core employee formula is a sliding scale that mandates that, for example, a 50 person paint crew must be filled with at least 39 referrals from the union hall, and that only 11 of the contractor's current work force.

President Obama continues to push his campaign promises to enact comprehensive health care reform legislation. He has outlined an aggressive timeline with both houses of congress passing legislation before August and then using the August recess to reconcile the bills. Obama’s ultimate goals is to have a bill sign on his desk by October.  Despite the complexity of passing the major overhaul of health reform legislation the democratic leadership in congress is working toward keeping the timeline in tact.