ACT Ohio is constantly focused on the issues affecting the skilled craftsmen and women of the state’s Building Trades. The organization advocates on behalf of its affiliate members at the state level, and helps Business Managers, Agents, and Organizers advocate at the local level. These issues are a driving force in the work we do to promote the high standards of Ohio’s Building Trades and the skilled journeymen and women who complete that work.
From ensuring affiliate members are paid Prevailing Wage on public works projects, to promoting Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), to fighting every attempt at becoming a So Called “Right to Work” state, the work ACT Ohio does at the statehouse on these issues is important to the livelihoods of all Ohio skilled craftspeople.
ACT Ohio also promotes intensive workforce and safety training through the Building Trades registered Apprenticeship programs, and the constantly upgraded skills of our journeymen and women.
ACT Ohio helps keep the competition fair by supporting Responsible Contracting promoting the Building Trades’ Drug-Free Workforce, and continuing to advocate for industry regulations.
Prevailing Wage
Prevailing Wage laws require contractors who work on public projects to pay construction workers the area’s standards for hourly wages, benefits, and overtime, as calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor and Ohio Department of Commerce. These market wages are established by local standards and competitive practices. Read More
Workplace Safety
ACT Ohio’s central goal – and that of our 14,000+ signatory contractors – is to ensure the safety of our more than 92,000 professionally trained construction workers. In 2015 alone, affiliates spent over $48 million on apprenticeship and safety training. ACT Ohio affiliates safeguard members by providing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training to prevent job site accidents and injuries. Read More
So Called “Right to Work”
ACT Ohio vehemently opposes all So Called “Right to Work” legislation. These laws make it optional for workers protected by a union contract to help pay for the expenses that a union incurs while guaranteeing the rights of all employees. “Right to Work” is a grossly misleading title, created by its supporters and proponents to put a positive spin on the otherwise damaging statute. Read More
Project Labor Agreements
ACT Ohio advocates for the use of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and other similar agreements like Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs). These tools require that highly-trained and skilled local workers be used on government projects, keeping taxpayer dollars in the community. Read More
Drug-Free Workforce
ACT Ohio affiliates actively support programs to promote healthy and safe jobsites, including a drug-free workplace. Affiliate collective bargaining agreements require that 100% of ACT Ohio’s more than 92,000 skilled craftspeople are subject to random, mandatory drug testing – this is especially critical in the midst of the nation’s opioid epidemic. Read More
Workforce Development
A Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) provides funding, support, and standardized curriculum, including OSHA safety training, for each union training program. At state-of-the-art training facilities, ACT Ohio member unions educate their apprentices with the skills and knowledge necessary to work efficiently and produce high quality craftsmanship. Read More
Responsible Contracting
Responsible contracting does not mean accepting the lowest bid, but the most responsible bid offered at the lowest price. A responsible contracting policy enhances Ohio’s competitive bidding laws, and emphasizes value in the procurement process. Read More
Building Trades Advocacy
ACT Ohio encourages the state to have strict regulations in place for the construction industry that set high standards for the way things are built and who is building them, helping to ensure projects are constructed properly and safely. Only through the implementation of strong, reasonable building codes stringently enforced by the State of Ohio, are responsible contractors able to perform the necessary work of building Ohio properly. Read More