ABC Releases New Merit Shop Scorecard
Scorecard explains how state policies affect contractors' abilities to conduct, expand businesses
WASHINGTON — Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) recently launched “Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard,” which reviews and grades state-specific information significant to the success of the commercial and industrial construction industry. The scorecard website, meritshopscorecard.org, identifies states that have created an environment where merit shop contractors are well-positioned to succeed and states where strategic improvements need to be made in order to create a friendly business climate.
The Merit Shop Scorecard grades states on project labor agreement (PLA), prevailing wage, and right-to-work policies, as well as their construction job growth rate, commitment to developing a well-trained workforce, level of flexibility in career and technical education curricula, and use of public-private partnerships (P3s).
“The Merit Shop Scorecard will be a useful tool for lawmakers and industry stakeholders to explain how state policies affect the ability of contractors to conduct business and expand their operations,” said Ben Brubeck, director of labor and federal procurement, ABC. “The scorecard highlights high-performing states that have enacted policies opposing anti-competitive schemes and restrictive, cost-inflating mandates while embracing fairness in the workplace. It also identifies low-performing states that have failed to foster environments where businesses can thrive, invest, and create construction jobs in local communities.”
The Merit Shop Scorecard was developed with input from ABC chapters and industry stakeholders across the country. States were evaluated based on their policies and records on seven key issues: PLAs, prevailing wage, right to work, P3s, workforce development, career and technical education, and job growth rate.
Criteria and definitions are available on meritshopscorecard.org. The scorecard will be updated monthly with exclusive state construction unemployment rate estimates from economist Bernard Markstein.
Publication date: 12/14/2015
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