Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark., Wednesday announced plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit governments from requiring non-union companies to abide by union standards while working on federally-funded construction projects.
Hutchinson's bill is aimed not only at changing current law, but also at rebuffing the Clinton administration's new proposal to allow government agencies to consider a bidder's employment and labor practices when awarding a federally-funded contract.
Under current law, non-union companies that wish to work on federally-funded projects must abide by the labor stabilization agreement for the project. Those agreements are made to ensure public works projects are finished on time and on budget, without work stoppages.
But Hutchinson claims the agreements also force non-union companies to operate under union rules to be a part of the contract. The legislation would prohibit a company from being turned down for a contract just because it does not "enter into or adhere to a collective bargaining agreement or any similar agreement as a condition of performing work on the contract."
Senate Majority Leader Lott is holding up the confirmation of Alexis Herman as labor secretary until the administration drops its rulemaking.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Michael McCurry expressed confidence Wednesday that Herman will be confirmed. McCurry said White House officials also are "actively consulting" with GOP senators to try to resolve their concerns over the administration's executive order, which he said President Clinton fully intends to issue.
The order is "still in progress, but not nearing completion," he said, because it is still undergoing review.
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