ABC’s general counsel will provide an overview of significant legal decisions impacting merit shop contractors and the status of legal challenges against Biden administration final rules. He will also give an update on executive orders and major federal rulemakings.

With the Democrats in control of both the White House and Congress, efforts to defend against their pro-labor legislative and regulatory agenda remain a top priority. The speakers will provide insights on what labor policies to expect in 2021 and how to respond to current and pending federal legislation, including the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. This session also will detail ABC’s ongoing fight against local, state and national project labor agreements.

Experienced practitioners will share their insights on the latest developments at the NLRB and what merit shop contractors should expect from the board in the second half of 2021, with a particular focus on the pro-labor agenda of the new NLRB general counsel.

Experienced practitioners will discuss the latest actions of the new DOL, such as rolling back the Trump DOL’s independent contractor and joint employer final rules, and talk about what contractors should expect from the department in the latter half of 2021. The speakers also will discuss recent developments affecting workplace safety in the construction industry, such as increased OSHA enforcement and new COVID-19 guidance and policies.

This session will examine 2021 employment law trends at the state and local levels, including paid leave, marijuana legalization, independent contractors, wage and hour laws and the latest regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.