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Policies


All legislative policies are reviewed each year by the Legislative Affairs Committee.

Prospective legislative issues are to be referred by the Legislative Affairs Committee to relevant SMACNA Committees with appropriate expertise for review; The Committee of jurisdiction will then report its recommendations to the Legislative Affairs Committee for review where a draft policy is then presented to the Board of Directors. In an emergency situation where policy is needed, the Legislative Affairs Committee seeks immediate input from the proper Committee, approves a Legislative Affairs Committee recommendation and forwards it to the President and the Executive Committee for expedited approval.  (Adopted by the Board of Directors – September 30, 1989)

Competitive Market Policies

POSITION
SMACNA supports federal, state and local efforts to reduce unfair competitive opportunities by utilities, including subsidized diversification into new utility businesses.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the creation of a federally sanctioned and administered asbestos compensation trust fund to reduce the costs, delay and uncertainty involved in screening, assessing, litigating and compensating individuals impaired by asbestos exposure. In addition, effective federal guidelines, incentives and grants for coordinated asbestos removal programs covering public and private facilities are necessary to preempt conflicting state and local laws, rules and regulations.

POSITION
SMACNA supports an orderly and prioritized phase-out of harmful chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) such as the approach in the Montreal Protocol Agreement.

SMACNA opposes state restrictions beyond those mandated by the federal government or beyond a model state regulation prepared or endorsed by recognized standard setting organizations such as the National Conference of States on Building Codes and Standards, the National Institute of Building Sciences or the Council of American Building Officials.

POSITION
SMACNA supports efforts to attain and maintain good air quality but opposes placing the principal burden of compliance on the construction industry. Non attainment sanctions should not cripple economic growth or the construction industry.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the right of project owners on federally funded and private projects to negotiate and establish project wide agreement terms for all contractors and subcontractors, including "union only" subcontracting clauses.

POSITION
SMACNA supports a federal legislation and procurement policy which requires reliance on quality procurement from the private sector and value engineering for the production of commercially available construction services.

POSITION
SMACNA urges Congress to enact aggressive efficiency and alternative energy tax incentives, green building grant programs, high efficiency infrastructure investments and federal procurement policy that encourages far greater efficiency and sustainability in commercial, residential and public buildings.

POSITION:
SMACNA opposes federal efforts which seek to legislate employee benefits especially when such issues should be the subject for the collective bargaining process.

POSITION
SMACNA supports reforms to federal contract payment policy which would require prompt payment, strict worker classification enforcement and bid listing on all public and/or private work. In addition, bonding requirements should be enforced for the duration of the project and reform to the Anti Deficiency Act to limit contract change orders designated by government officials within the general scope of the contract only if funds are certified available for such contract change in advance of performance. Further, late federal contract payments to contractors should bear a late interest fee indexed to the rate charged by the federal government for late payment. 

POSITION
SMACNA seeks and supports the inclusion of smoke control systems in public buildings and facilities and urges additional fire/smoke safety legislation or regulation encouraging fire prevention and control affecting building construction or renovation.

POSITION
SMACNA supports federal tax and demand side management incentives and other forms of support for research, development and implementation of solar and energy efficient retrofit and technologies.

POSITION
SMACNA supports foreign trade agreements that enhance opportunities for increased industry trade, material supply, investment and jobs while strengthening competitiveness as long as federal safeguards are implemented to prevent unfair trade practices.

POSITION
SMACNA supports fair competition in construction based upon vigorous enforcement and audit action by the Internal Revenue Service that ensures the proper classification of workers and to assure the full payment of employment taxes by legitimate independent contractors.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the development and enforcement of indoor air quality guidelines for federal and state facilities and the accelerated development and implementation of technology that improves workplace air quality.

POSITION
SMACNA supports federal legislation to reform the Miller Act to require that the dollar level of payment and performance bonds equal the contract price and subcontract amounts for all the subcontract tiers on federal projects. In addition, the law should provide assurances that bonds are in effect, bonding rules enforced and all bonds are actively guaranteed for the duration of the project.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the voluntary use of a limited portion of pension funds in targeted infrastructure projects or investments yielding competitive financial returns.

POSITION
SMACNA supports federal product liability reform that:

      •    Protects small business installers, wholesalers, and service firms from product  
           liability suits where the fault clearly rests with the manufacturer or others;
      •    Preserves employer rights to recover workers' compensation cost from guilty third
           parties and that;
      •    Standardizes liability law from state to state.

Employee Benefits

POSITION
SMACNA supports modification of the 1974 ERISA Law to prevent the misapplication of ERISA's preemption provisions to invalidate common state employment and benefit administration and contract collection laws, including prevailing wages, apprenticeship and benefit collection. SMACNA supports related clarifying technical corrections to the 1974 Act permitting state action, especially on state and locally funded public projects.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the current ERISA claims process and preemption which precludes states from passing laws allowing claimants the right to sue health insurers and employers for unlimited punitive damage awards over an alleged breach of contract.

POSITION
SMACNA believes that every federal contractor should provide health and retirement benefits to employees but opposes federal efforts which seek to legislate employee benefits which are subject to the collective bargaining process, including efforts to mandate family, medical, sick and related issues.

SMACNA opposes any health care initiatives which would:

  • Require employers already providing health care benefits for employees to subsidize employers who do not;

  • Unfairly penalize employers already providing health care;

  • Adversely interfere with ERISA-protected collective bargaining plans.

POSITION
SMACNA supports legislative initiatives and tax policies which encourage groups and individuals to obtain health care coverage and which promotes access, portability, affordability and security of health benefits.

SMACNA opposes any health care initiatives which would:

  • Require employers already provided health care benefits for employees to subsidized employers who do not.

  • Unfairly penalize employers already providing health care.

  • Adversely interfere with ERISA protected collective bargaining plans.

POSITION
SMACNA supports reform of ERISA and tax laws that would address the susceptibility of multiemployer defined benefit pension plans to the same long-term risks that have driven other plans to insolvency.  Plans have aggressively increased employer contributions and active employees have faced reduced future accruals but the system remains unstable.  Congress should authorize a voluntary innovative hybrid design that would provide lifetime retirement income and minimize the financial exposure of contributing employers.  SMACNA opposes aggressive changes to current funding requirements and extreme PBGC premium increases, both of which would financially weaken employers and further destabilize plans.

POSITION
SMACNA opposes increasing federal unemployment benefit periods, tax rates and the taxable wage base.

POSITION
SMACNA supports legislation and regulations establishing workers' compensation programs with premiums based upon hours worked or other factors such as sliding scale and/or credit adjustments designed to eliminate inequities found in payroll-based workers' compensation programs.

Government/Political Reform

POSITION
SMACNA supports the maintenance of the voluntary political process in which individuals may contribute money to candidates, political parties, and PACs.  In addition, SMACNA supports limiting further restrictions on PACs and seeks repeal of the current rules requiring prior approval for trade association PACs exclusively.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the maintenance of the voluntary political process in which individuals may contribute money to candidates, political parties, and PACs.  In addition, SMACNA supports limiting further restrictions on PACs and seeks repeal of the current rules requiring prior approval for trade association PACs exclusively.

Labor Policies

POSITION
SMACNA supports substance screening procedures as well as Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for those in the bargaining unit; provided that testing is conducted by a qualified and accredited laboratory that maintains high quality control procedures and follows manufacturers' protocols and performs acceptable confirmation assay such as a gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS); provided that tests are performed in a dignified, human and secure manner; provided that test results will be confidential and available only to those individuals who must be made aware; and provided that testing will be applicable to all levels of employment at the project site.

POSITION
SMACNA opposes Anti-Dual Shop legislation because it is an attack on the fundamental freedom of individuals to invest in an enterprise of their choice, especially when market conditions demand alternate capabilities.

POSITION
SMACNA supports improvement and reform of federal procurement process based upon creative private sector incentives, such as e-commerce technologies, but does not support the treatment of construction services as a commercial item for procurement purposes. Further, SMACNA opposes the use of FAR part 12 as well as reserve auctions for construction procurement by public agencies.

POSITION
SMACNA supports an emphasis on state action with lesser activity at the federal level to alleviate the liability insurance crisis. State based coalitions with state and national organizations were suggested to staff for policy and legislative action to increase the availability of affordable liability insurance as well as addressing the statute of limitation and liability limits in court settlements.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the effective enforcement of OSHA and the creation of an OSHA Department of Construction. Further, SMACNA believes that improved safety training and education of employees and OSHA inspectors is needed if worksite safety is to become the norm. Employee accountability should be an integral component for any OSHA reform proposal.

POSITION
SMACNA supports federal legislation promoting fair employment opportunities for the truly disabled provided that it: Recognizes the unique nature of the construction worksite, exempts construction worksites from federal accommodations requirements, and defines "reasonable accommodation" and "undue hardship."

POSITION
SMACNA supports application the Davis-Bacon Act to on-site field work with established, periodic adjustments to the threshold levels to reflect changes in the federal inflation adjustment index.

POSITION
The Committee reviewed the policy and noted it has been obviated by long standing and accepted health and safety policy at the federal level and therefore is outdated and unnecessary. The Committee recommends it be allowed to expire rather than renewed. [The existing policy statement, “SMACNA supports the establishment and maintenance of a safe and healthy workplace but believes legislation that requires additional employee risk notification will do little to protect workers.”

POSITION
SMACNA supports equal opportunity employment but opposes quotas and other inequitable government limits to management's employment discretion. SMACNA supports awarding employment opportunities based on reasonable and nondiscriminatory merit-based factors.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the government's reliance on the private sector for purchasing readily available construction products and services.

POSITION
SMACNA supports stable labor management relationships and the right of employers, if they so choose, to continue to operate during a strike by hiring replacement employees without additional government restrictions or intervention in the collective bargaining process.

Tax Policies

POSITION
SMACNA supports reducing the capital gains rate and other taxes that increase the cost of investment capital.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the unrestricted use of completed contract method of accounting for construction contractors.

POSITION
SMACNA supports the creation of family owned businesses and the equitable tax treatment of such family owned businesses. Closely held family businesses represent a cornerstone of this Nation's economic system and social structure. SMACNA opposes any tax provisions unfairly limiting or hindering family owned business transfers of ownership between generations.

POSITION
SMACNA supports a phased rollback in Social Security and Medicare rates and a cap at the current taxable wage base. Once phased in, Social Security should be on a pay-as-you-go basis taking it off budget as recommended in the 1983 report of the President's Commission on Social Security.

POSITION
SMACNA opposes the taxation of fringe benefits.

POSITION
SMACNA supports employer provided legal and educational assistance as a tax free employee benefit.

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