Tile Roofing Industry Alliance Lobbyist, Craig Brightup, has provided the latest government relations update and activities on the following from September 2024:

ILA-USMX Negotiations for East and Gulf Coasts

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) representing 85,000 dockworkers and U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) representing employers have been trying to reach a new contract for ports from Maine to Texas.  The ILA says talks are at an impasse and dockworkers will strike on Oct. 1 if there’s no deal.

Corporate Transparency Act

TRIA signed a letter to Speaker Johnson urging legislation to delay the CTA again be brought the floor.  Similar legislation passed the House with some 400 votes, but Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has bottled up the bill as chair of the Senate Banking Committee.     

Regulatory Updates

• FTC Noncompetes Ban – on August 20, a Texas federal court set aside the FTC’s ban nationwide and the U.S. Chamber believes the decision will stand.
• DOL OT Regs – on Sept. 12, the 5^th Circuit affirmed the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s authority to issue salary regs for overtime (OT) exemptions under the FLSA.
• OSHA Heat Rule – on August 30, OSHA published its proposed Heat Illness rule which will need big changes before its remotely feasible to implement.     

Good Jobs Executive Order

On Sept. 6, President Biden issued an “Executive Order on Investing in American Workers” fulfilling a union priority to “specify a clear list of labor standards that all Federal agencies should look to prioritize” when awarding federal dollars.  The fact sheet here calls for agencies to promote worker voices through “voluntary union recognition, and neutrality with respect to union organizing.”  It states, “agencies are encouraged to prioritize” these policies “where appropriate and consistent with law,” but most businesses seeking federal dollars will likely have to agree.  The administration added similar “good jobs” language to funding opportunities in the infrastructure bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS Act.  Per the U.S. Chamber, the new EO appears to formalize and standardize these policies and extend them to all federal agencies.

Congressional/Political Meetings

September meetings and events I participated in include dinner with TRIA friend Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS); lunch with Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) who flipped a district in 2022; dinner with Montana’s Tim Sheehy (R) who’s poised to defeat Sen. Jon Tester (D); and a chat with Pennsylvania’s Dave McCormick who’s running a tremendous campaign to defeat incumbent Sen. Bob Casey (D).  Should McCormick win, Republicans will likely have a 53 – 47 Senate majority with pickups in MT, OH, WV and PA.

For more information on the TRIA Alliance and our Government Relations efforts, please visit our website at www.tileroofing.org.