Union contractors meet with basic trade leaders for strategic planning session

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) representing Union Contractors recently held a Trades Forum meeting in Washington, AGC members and their staff from across the country attended the meeting provided an opportunity for union contractors to voice their concerns to leaders of the national unions and the Association. 

Labor leaders decried lost man-hours and jobs over the past two years and mentioned some of their efforts to manage the crisis. They also discussed efforts to raise capital for both public and private construction and to be even more politically active.  

Items discussed included joint efforts with contractors to market the value of union construction in terms of productivity and training, as well as outreach to non-signatory contractors seeking to overcome anti-union prejudices. Initiatives to boost training including a significant increase in journeyman upgrading, development of a new, state-of-the-art training center and added focus on training craft workers to keep up with changing technology and materials.

The meeting also included discussion of cost-competitiveness, jurisdictional disputes and other inter-union strife, and workforce development. Read More 

We believe AGC Members have a long road ahead of them given the fact that the wages that their members are forced to pay their union employees are as high as 50% higher than Merit Shop Contractors who already pay their employees well. That in itself inhibits union contractors from being competitive, add to that the lavish benefit packages they have signed on to give their union employees and it is no wonder they find it difficult to compete in the free market private sector.

Their inability to compete on a level playing field has in fact been negotiated and agreed to by their own members. Their own self destructive contracts are the primary reason why they are forced to spend hundreds of millions on political advocacy to get any substantial work in this economy at all. 

Meanwhile the Republican controlled House has passed at least 17 Jobs bills that can help AGC members and their union employees. However, those measures sit languishing in the Senate on Harry Reids (D) desk who has no intention of considering any of them. 

Perhaps on this election day they should take a good look in the mirror to see where the blame for their troubles really lie.....Or, they can maintain their anguish by going to the Polls and voting for every Democrat on the ballot. 

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Senator Tom Kean: “Don’t Allow Emotions to Stop Progress in Trenton”

Senator Tom Kean Jr.

Senator Tom Kean Calls on Senate President Sweeney to lighten partison rhetoric and get back to work for Taxpayers.

In response to partison and inflamitory comments made by the Senate President Sweeney regarding Governor Christie’s budget vetoes,

NJ Senate President
 Steve Sweeney

Senator Tom Kean, Jr. issued the following statement: “Most times, those elected to serve are able to disagree without being disagreeable or making our policy differences personal.”

“I sincerely hope that, despite a contentious budget process, we are able to continue on the path of bipartisan problem solving. There are instances in people’s lives when emotions get out of hand and lead them to say or do things they wish they hadn’t.” Read More

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On November 1^st the New Jersey Senate and Assembly are up for Election.

Please Vote Wisely.....

As New Jersey Democrats Delay Propoerty Taxes Rise

Assembly Democrats Agree, Taxpayers Need Real Reform Now

Senate Republican Budget Officer Tony Bucco called on the Legislative leadership to move immediately to approve the remaining parts of the “toolkit” package that have been languishing in the Legislature:

“Last July, the Legislature moved to implement a historic two-percent property tax cap in New Jersey. In the nine months since we enacted this cap that took effect January 1, the Senate and Assembly Democrats have refused to give local officials the necessary support to meet the cap for purely political reasons,” said Bucco.Read More Here

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Pro-business Democrats Struggle As Republicans Look Strong

The Perilous Position of Small Biz Democrats

 

Obama With The Car In D for Drive



Democrats are in the minority of candidates winning support from business groups such as NFIB and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, but they are out there.



Pro-business Democrats are at risk of being swept out of key offices as a wave of anti-Obama sentiment looks set to lift Republicans to victory in midterm elections. "It's going to mean we're going to have to reach out to other Democrats," said NFIB's Brad Close. "It helps to have friends on both sides of the aisle." Read More

A Small-Biz Congress?

Why are so many small-business owners running for office? In the past, they were too busy running their business to worry about politics. Today, however, many of these business owners feel threatened by policies out of Washington and think they have to run for Congress in order to protect their companies. Read More

Biden Once Again Blames Republicans and Bush For His Problems

Biden: If I Hear One More Republican Tell Me About Balancing The Budget, I Am Going To Strangle Them.

He went on to say that the Republicans’ new “Pledge to America,” will increase the debt by $1 trillion. He also bloviated that "We’ve seen this movie. We know how it ends” 

Read More

By Joseph Hovanec
NJECPAC Secretary

Its to bad that what Biden said is largely false. Tax cuts have been proven to create growth, but not unlimited growth, they have to be accompanied by spending cuts, especially to balance a budget deficit.

 

The problem with the Republicans during the Bush Administration was they cut taxes and then increased spending. Even that is not what caused this recession. It was mandating banks to give mortgages to people that could not afford them. When those mortgages started to default banks fell like dominoes. That was a policy born of Democrat Andrew Cuomo, currently running for Governor of NY, when he was HUD Secretary. It was further exasperated by mandates pushed by Democrats Barny Franks and Chris Dodd and affirmed by the Democrat controlled Congress.

 

President Bush warned them all of the problem two years before it happened and they ignored the issue just like they continue to ignore projected shortages in Social Security now.

 

The auto industry is another issue and the responsibility for that falls squarely upon Management first and then unions with both to blame. That coincidentally happened at the same time as the mortgage crisis making the recession worse and giving the Democrats an excuse to spend even more money.

 

Democrats have had control of Congress since 2006 when they were handed the reins. In fact they were in control for two years before this recession even started. 

 

All they have done is what they always do, throw money at the problems, pay off the unions, and hope for the best. If there is not enough money, no problem, they just raise taxes. In this recession they have done one better, they opted to increase the deficit more than every President from George Washington to George W Bush combined. they are now using the deficit they created as an excuse to let the Bush Tax Rates expire. That will result in the largest tax increase in American history. How is that going to work out for you? 

 

Regardless of which party comes out on November 3rd as the Majority, this election will decide the financial state of the country for the next 20 years and beyond.

Senate Republicans Caucus while Democrats Don’t Show Up to Work on Property Tax Relief

Senate Republican Caucus: Cap 2.0 Equals Real Property Tax Relief for Long Suffering NJ Taxpayers

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean and the Republican Caucus issued the following statement regarding Governor Chris Christie’s Saturday special session on property taxes in New Jersey:

“The Senate Republican Caucus welcomes the agreement between Governor Christie and the Legislature that will impose a 2.0 percent hard cap on property tax increases at every level of government. This is good news for New Jersey residents who have been routinely subject to more than seven percent property tax increases over the past decade.”

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Democrats Fail To Show Up to Work on Property Tax Relief For NJ Taxpayers 

The entire Senate Republican Caucus showed up in Trenton Saturday prepared to act on Governor Chris Christie’s permanent property tax relief package, but the Democratic Majority failed to show up.

Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean (R-Union) made the following statement on behalf of all seventeen members:

“The Democrats refused to show up today to fix our property tax crisis while families fight to stay in their homes. There is a real affordability crisis in New Jersey. We must act before another family moves out or another business closes.”

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