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ABC Western Pennsylvania Chapter

Latest News and Trends in the Construction Industry

Midterm Wake-Up Call: Study Shows Pennsylvania's Nonunion Construction Workers Built the GOP Coalition

Nonunion skilled trades workers, who make up the vast majority of Pennsylvania’s construction workforce, are an influential voting bloc and played a key role in shaping recent election outcomes, according to a new Harris Poll survey released by ABC Western Pennsylvania.

The Trump Administration Should Not Continue a Failed Biden-Era Labor Mandate

The administration tacitly agrees that PLA mandates make construction more expensive, specifying that a contract that costs 10% more because of fewer competitive bids with a PLA is okay. The result is that taxpayers will get nine miles of highway instead of 10 with a PLA mandate that limits the number of bidders.

Gov. Shapiro: Let’s Get More Stuff Done for Apprentices!

“Registered apprenticeships offer an ‘earn while you learn’ model, delivering nationally recognized credentials. While Governor Shapiro’s apprenticeship initiatives are promising, outdated 1960s regulations exclude many aspiring workers. With no taxpayer cost, we must pass this legislation to expand opportunities and strengthen our workforce.”

Associated Builders & Contractors, Keystone Chapter,Opposes House Bill 2153

"This legislation would extend prevailing wage beyond an actual construction job site, something that is not currently in place anywhere else in the law today, and it would do it on publicly funded housing. At a time when housing stock is low and prices are high, this is exactly the wrong policy to take up."

Associated Builders and Contractors Meet with Pennsylvania Lawmakers to Promote Merit Shop in Construction Industry

“We’re here to champion a construction industry where merit drives success,” said Justin Erdner, President of ABC of WPA. “By working with Pennsylvania lawmakers, we aim to create opportunities for skilled workers and businesses while delivering high-quality infrastructure for our communities.”

Letter to the editor: Biden should honor workers' choices on unions

"New White House regulations on prevailing wages, apprenticeship programs and project labor agreements for federal and federally assisted construction projects disproportionately benefit unionized workers and contractors. Consequently, nearly 8 out of 10 of Pennsylvania’s construction workers, who have consistently delivered high-quality roads, bridges and schools without union affiliation, are sidelined."

Letter to the editor: Shapiro’s ‘Union strong’ is only at 10%

"Gov. Shapiro playfully puts out that he wants his administration to “Get S@&! Done” but only focuses on 10% of the construction workforce. I strongly suggest, if this is genuine, that he reach out to the rest of the workforce that is nonunion and be amazed at what more gets done."