Catherwood LibraryILR School

A new executive order is expected to be issued today by President Obama. The order would allow federal agencies to require union representation for workers on projects costing $25 million dollars or more. Building groups have come out strongly against the order, saying that this will drive up costs and hurt workers who are not union members. A White House economist said that the majority of the major Energy Department projects were covered by project labor agreements and that such agreements bring stability and help ensure that health and safety regulations are followed. He also noted that the Supreme Court has upheld the use of such agreements. The agreements allow unions to bargain for wages, hours and work rules in return for not striking or disrupting work. The new executive order comes after the recess appointments of Craig Becker and Mark Pearce to the National Labor relations Board, another move that business groups have strongly opposed and that unions have endorsed.