Focus

Our continuing focus this legislative season will be ensuring that our members are protected against an increasing onslaught of business and industry regulations that make it hard to remain competitive, or to grow our workforce.

 

We are also dedicated to encouraging smart public spending that keeps our economy vibrant, our vital infrastructure funded, and our industry working. We work for policy that promotes entrepreneurialism, functional pathways to market entry, and gives the next generation of workers and owners a promising future.

 

We will work for:

• Ensure the transportation investments, included in the Move Ahead Washington and
  Connecting Washington packages, are realized.
  • This includes commitments from the general fund.
  • Work to ensure that long-term investments in transportation meet the state’s needs,
    particularly as gas tax revenues decline.
  • Advocate for additional funding, including short and long-term, for maintenance and
    preservation.

 

• Changes to the prevailing wage statute that says in counties where two CBAs exist, the one with the highest wage prevails such that the language says that the CBA representing the most workers or hours prevails.

 

• Proposals to increase investments in capital construction, including the State Capital Budget, Public Works Trust Fund, Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and efforts to increase school construction funding such as reduction in the 60% threshold to approve
  school bond measures.

 

• Programs and opportunities that increase and improve the construction-industry
  workforce include funding for:
  • Core Plus Construction
  • Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in middle and high school, and
    enhancements to STEM programs.
  • Also promote apprenticeship programs, inclusive of state and/or federally approved
    programs, while bringing awareness to and encouraging people to enroll in the training who are entering the construction industry.
    • Support proposals that make the process of approving construction
      apprenticeship training programs fairer and more open.

 

• Proposals that fairly allocate risk in construction contracts.

 

• Proposals that support fair, competitive, and open access to public works construction
  contracts.

 

• Achievable efforts to increase the diversity of the construction industry that include measurable metrics to success.

 

• Workers’ Compensation system improvements.

 

• Rational and reasonable business regulation reforms.

 

• Rational and reasonable permit and growth management act reforms that allow needed
  expansion of residential and commercial construction.

 

• Rational and reasonable prevailing wage reforms.

 

• Rational and reasonable approaches to support the Unemployment Insurance trust fund.

 

• Legislation to make the 15% apprenticeship utilization requirement more attainable, and legislation that would streamline the objection process for new apprenticeship programs.

 

• Legislation to improve the timeliness of payments from public owners