The Merit Shop Advocacy Blog

Advocacy Update: Get In the Game

It’s another big election year in Pennsylvania and candidates are lining up. The open governor’s office and U.S. Senate seat are popular choices. Currently, there are over a dozen Republicans seeking the governor’s office. Josh Shapiro, the Attorney General, is the lone Democrat vying for the seat. For U.S. Senate, there are 13 Republicans and 14 Democrats running. It’s still too early for “drop-outs,” so ABC will keep members aware of who’s in and who’s out as we draw closer to the May 17 primary. In addition, 17 congressional seats, 203 state House seats, and 25 state Senate seats are up for grabs.

Let’s start with what we affectionately call “re-districting.” Every decade, states go through a process of their own choosing to re-draw state and federal legislative districts. Because Pennsylvania is losing population, the Commonwealth’s congressional delegation will shrink from 18 to 17 congresspersons. This means legislative leaders will have to merge two seats. No easy task. A few weeks ago, preliminary maps were released by the House. The maps must go through the entire legislative process, and the governor must sign-off unless there are votes for an override. There could be legal challenges depending on the outcome of the legislative process and how contentious the talks will be. Regardless, the timeline is extremely tight, as session days are short, and candidates begin circulating petitions in mid-February. If you are interested in reviewing or commenting on the congressional maps, you can go to www.paredistricting.com.

January 21, 2022

Advocacy Update: Buckle Up for a Whopper of a New Year

Get ready for a jam-packed 2022. If you’ve been paying attention to what’s been going on in Harrisburg this past month, you know the drama has already begun.

December 28, 2021

Giving Thanks in Difficult Times

Despite the turmoil and political strife around the world, it is refreshing that we can still take time to pause and give thanks for what we have as a nation. I continue to believe there is no better place to live, raise a family, and pursue happiness than the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the United States of America.

As we head back to work and carry on in that twilight period after Thanksgiving and before Christmas, I thought it appropriate to preview some of the accomplishments from this year. Through the hard work of our government affairs team, chapter leadership, and grassroots advocates, we:

November 30, 2021

Advocacy Update: Advocacy In Action

On October 25, ABC members traveled to Harrisburg to take part in “Free Enterprise Day.” Industry leaders from our five regional chapters spoke to legislators serving on the Senate Labor & Industry Committee on the challenges they are facing and what role the legislature can play to improve workforce conditions.

October 25, 2021

Advocacy Update:
Be a Difference Maker by Getting Involved!

In mid-September, the legislature returned from their summer recess for a fall session that spans through the rest of 2021. During that time, the General Assembly will likely debate and vote on measures that directly and indirectly impact the construction industry. Per the decennial census, the Legislative Reapportionment Commission will re-draw congressional districts, considering Pennsylvania’s loss of one congressperson. In addition, the legislature will go through a process to re-draw all 253 House and Senate districts, taking into account where population was lost and gained throughout the commonwealth. Along with the re-districting process, the legislature will continue to explore COVID-19-related bills, especially pertaining to the Secretary of Health masking order for schools. Along with those hot-button issues, the ABC government affairs team is working on the following bills:

October 21, 2021

Message from the President-CEO:
Into the Future

Over the past few months, I have asked the question “What’s Next,” when it comes to the storied history and forward thinking of the Keystone Chapter. The answers to that question are beginning to come into focus. On September 15 and 16, 48 people met here at the Chapter office to begin work on the 2022-2024 Strategic Plan. I want to thank all these passionate members for helping formulate the future.

October 8, 2021

Advocacy Update:
To the Fall Session, and Beyond!

The legislature is back from the summer recess and has started the fall voting session, which lasts through December. Last week, House and Senate Republican leaders held a press conference where they outlined main areas of focus for the reminder of the year. Those priorities include: (1) the Administration’s school mask mandate; (2) election reform; (3) legislative recommendations included in the Auditor General’s report on the pandemic waivers; and (4) legislative measures dealing with the opioid epidemic.

September 27, 2021

ABC Keystone President Message September 2021

Message from the President-CEO:
Make Your Vote Count!

Right now, when you hear “Make your vote count,” it brings up painful memories of election night November 2020. Let me start by telling you that is NOT what I am here to talk about. It is that time of year when your Board of Directors puts forth a slate of candidates to run for open Board seats. For many years, individuals were nominated and put on a ballot mailed to members to provide an opportunity for them to officially vote for their Board of Directors.

September 10, 2021

Advocacy Update: Your Voice is Needed

In previous Spokesman articles, you read about the progress the government affairs team has made in calling for an end to discriminatory rules in the apprenticeship training standards. In August and September, ABC chapters were proud to host members of the House Labor & Industry Committee to tour training facilities and participate in a roundtable discussion on our concerns. Those events were a tremendous success and put a spotlight on the unfairness between joint and non-joint rules.

September 9, 2021

Advocacy Update:
Workforce Development Legislation in the Forefront

As ABC members are aware, our association has been advocating strongly for changes to state-mandated apprentice-to-journeyworker ratio rules. Under a 60-year-old rule, merit shop contractors are required to have four journeyworkers supervise each apprentice. On the other hand, joint apprenticeship programs have unilateral flexibility in setting ratios through their collective bargaining agreements. We believe two set of standards is unfair and discriminatory.

August 30, 2021

Advocacy Update: Don’t Sit On the Sidelines

August is typically a time where state and federal elected officials are on recess and preparing for the fall sessions. While this year is no exception, it does not mean we are taking a break representing your interests. Over the summer, ABC of Pennsylvania staff will be working on internal and externals affairs.

August 25, 2021

Message from the President-CEO:
Where Are We Going Next?

Our facilitated strategic planning will take place on September 15 and 16 at the Chapter facility. These sessions will include all board members, committee chairs, staff and any members who would like to participate. Yes, we want you, the members of your Chapter, to be part of developing the big “What’s Next” for ABC Keystone. We only ask two things: be present for the entirety of the sessions and come with ideas and an open mind.

August 24, 2021

Advocacy Update: Are You In?

The legislature is in recess through the end of September, which provides time for the government affairs team to prepare for the fall session and map out future strategies. In October, we are planning the first in-person advocacy event since the COVID-19 shutdown. ABC members will have an opportunity to meet directly with key legislators in Harrisburg to advocate for policy priorities that impact the construction industry.

In addition to communicating directly with legislators, it is important that ABC financially support free enterprise candidates. There are important seats up for election in the 2022 cycle, and there is no doubt Pennsylvania will be a key state in determining the majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

July 26, 2021

ABC Keystone President Message July 2021

How Time Flies During a Pandemic!

It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2021, and we are beginning to think about 2022. During the last 16 months, things felt like they would never get back to normal, yet the time flew by quite quickly. So, how have the first six months of 2021 turned out, and what is in store moving forward for ABC Keystone?

July 20, 2021

Advocacy Update: ABC Making an Impact

It was a busy and impactful June for ABC public policy priorities. The House Commerce Committee advanced House Bill 424, which would prohibit indemnity clauses in construction contracts, by a vote of 23-1. We anticipate the bill will advance to the full House in the fall session. We provided comments on various pieces of legislation that would impact our members. We also supported legislation that would waive federal environmental permits on construction sites of less than five acres. Most significantly, we saw action on legislation (House Bill 536) that would reform the state’s mandated journeyworker-to-apprentice ratio rules, which have discriminated against the merit shop for 60 years.

June 28, 2021

Keeping You Informed on Legislative Matters that Affect Your Business