Persuader Rule rescinded

In 2014, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) began a campaign to hold McDonald’s USA, LLC liable for alleged unfair labor practices committed at restaurant locations owned by McDonald’s franchisees. The NLRB took the position that corporate McDonald’s controlled employment relations at franchise locations enough to qualify as a joint employer with the franchisee. Read our Press Release...

ABC in Knoxville serves on panel to delay Health Insurance Tax

Crownover (ABC- Greater Tennessee, Knoxville) participates in Knoxville Chamber Roundtable Knoxville, TN (August 30, 2017) – Local business leaders met Wednesday at the Knoxville Chamber to discuss how the health insurance tax, or HIT, will impact Tennessee small businesses in 2018 if it is not delayed immediately by Congress. Business leaders called on the state’s senators and representatives in Congress to lower premiums and provide financial relief to the state by ensuring that the HIT does not go into effect in 2018.  “Time is of the essence to delay this tax again,” said Terry Turner, President of the Knoxville Chamber and small business owner of All Occasions Party Rental. “We are all making insurance decisions in the next few weeks for next year and we need certainty from the federal government.” The discussion occurred one week ahead of hearings scheduled by Tennessee’s Senator Lamar Alexander on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education ... Read the rest of entry »

Associated Builders and Contractors Praises President's Commitment to Infrastructure Investment in Address to Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb., 28- Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) issued the following statement from Vice President of Legislative and Political Affairs Kristen Swearingen in response to President Trump’s pledge to commit needed resources to rebuild American infrastructure and to work with the business community to craft a transparent regulatory system that will encourage business investment during tonight’s address to the joint session of Congress: "Associated Builders and Contractors applauds President Trump’s pledge in tonight’s address to the joint session of Congress to commit needed resources to rebuild America's infrastructure and work with the business community to craft a transparent regulatory system that will encourage business investment. We are hopeful that the president’s call to ‘create a level playing field for American companies and workers’ will translate into policies that guarantee that all qualified contractors are able to compete for taxp ... Read the rest of entry »

Construction Industry Alliance Announces New Resources Aimed at Preventing Suicides

Contact:Jeff Leieritz (202) 905-2104 leieritz@abc.org For Immediate Release Construction Industry Alliance Announces New Resources Aimed at Preventing Suicides   WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 6– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today announced new resources made available to its members through its membership in the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention. ABC joined the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)-led alliance in October 2016 to help provide resources and disseminate information on suicide prevention and mental health awareness in the construction industry, with a goal of building a zero-suicide industry. A 2016 Center for Disease Control (CDC) report showed that construction is one of the most at-risk industries for suicide, with 1,324 of the 12,300 suicides (10.8 percent) studied occurring among individuals who worked in the construction or extraction industries. To fight this epidemic, ABC is encouraging member fi ... Read the rest of entry »

Federal Judge Imposes Injunction Against DOL’s Controversial Overtime Rule:

ABC praises the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Districtof Texas for issuing a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. DOL’sburdensome and costly overtime final rule. Prior to the injunction the rule was scheduled to go into effect onDecember 1st and would have doubled the current minimum salarythreshold for employees that are exempt from overtime pay and would automaticallyincrease every three years.  Construction contractors are pleased that the court hasstepped in to provide relief from another overreaching and burdensomeregulation from the Obama administration’s Labor Department.  The rule would have taken workplace flexibilityaway from employers and may have required some employers to consider switching certainemployees from salaried to hourly positions. Additionally, the rule would have had a significant impact on commercialand industrial construction projects “since many of them last longer than threeyears” and are carefully planned to stay on time ... Read the rest of entry »

Associated Builders and Contractors Congratulates President-elect Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 9– Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today released the following statement on the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.“Associated Builders and Contractors congratulates President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence and looks forward to working with this administration to craft policies rooted in free enterprise that will encourage open competition and result in greater business investment and more construction jobs,” said ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman. “With his background in real estate and development, Trump is very familiar with the obstacles to economic growth ABC members face, including our broken regulatory system, the increasingly difficult challenge of finding affordable health care coverage for employees, a growing shortage of appropriately skilled labor and the highest effective tax rate of any industry. We are hopeful that Trump will select judicial nominees that respect the traditional princi ... Read the rest of entry »

Associated Builders and Contractors Applauds Court Injunction Against (Blacklisting) Rule

The judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, issued a preliminary injunction late Monday night against the Fair Pay and Safe Work Places Rule which has been dubbed the (Blacklisting) Rule.   ABC is pleased the court ruled that the Obama Administration cannot order private businesses to publicly disclose mere accusations of labor law violations that have not been fully adjudicated. By issuing this decision, the court has maintained the first amendment rights of government contractors and protected them and tax payers from the poorly crafted Blacklisting Rule.  In her decision, the judge said that the groups that initiated this lawsuit earlier this month-including the ABC-had properly demonstrated immediate ongoing injury to their members if the rule is allowed to take effect. Before Mondays action halting the new regulation, the Department of Labor had planned to start its roll out of the executive order today. ABC was represented by Maury Baskin ABC&r ... Read the rest of entry »

ABC Releases the 2016 ABC Employee Benefits Survey

The 2016 ABC Employee Benefits Survey is now open and will remain open until October 15th. This survey looks at benefit practices of ABC member contractors and helps you benchmark your current benefits offerings against your peers. The results are tabulated in the aggregate, as well as by region and company size. If you are not already familiar with this survey and how it can help your company, you can see the 2014 survey results here. Some members use the survey to make or reinforce benefits decisions. It can also be a useful tool for companies offering strong benefits to demonstrate to their employeesthat their benefits are above market. If there are at least 25 members that participate in our state, we will also be able to share state specific results.  The survey is multiple choice and should take 5 minutes or less to complete if you have familiarity with your company’s benefits. Please consider participating, or forwarding this along to the person in your company that handles ... Read the rest of entry »

Stop the Obama Administration's "Stealth Death Tax Increase"

The IRS has set its sights on family businesses.The Obama Treasury Department last month issued proposed regulations that would upend the way family-owned companies are valued, disregarding decades of precedent and exposing family business owners to a death tax hike of 30 percent or more.Make your voice heard. Tell Treasury to withdraw the proposed regulations by clicking the link below.

Please click here and add your company name by Monday, September 26th, and stop the latest assault on family-owned businesses.

ABC Pelican Chapter Flood Update

The devastation in Louisiana has affected so many. Those who wish to support relief efforts during this difficult time can do so by donating to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund via ABC’s donation page and/or by donating to the Flood Relief & ABC Pelican Staff Fund set up by neighboring ABC New Orleans/Bayou Chapter.In the coming days the ABC Pelican Chapter will set up a relief fund that will accept direct donation. For updates, visit the ABC Pelican Chapter Flood Update webpage.