The Proposed Rulemaking Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulation

SMACNA believes that by returning to the original 30-percent rule, more union contractors will be able to competitively bid for federal contracts since, under the terms of the 50-percent rule, there was the appearance that union wages did not accurately reflect the realities of the labor environment.

In addition, SMACNA member corporations and chapters support the Department of Labor's efforts because they include several enhancements that reflect technological changes in work processes in the nine decades since the Davis Bacon Act was enacted. These rules would improve the overall efficiency of the Act and its enforcement and ensure that wages do not become "stale" or outdated.