Passage of Fair & Open Competition Act allows level playing field for government contracts

DOUGLAS (WNE) —  Associated Builders and Contractors praised the Wyoming legislature and Gov. Mark Gordon March 23 for enacting SF 147, the Fair and Open Competition Act, which protects Wyoming taxpayers by ensuring all of the state’s skilled construction workforce can compete on a level playing field for contracts to build state, state-assisted and local public works projects. 
 
Once in effect July 1, Wyoming will be the 25th state with an active policy restricting the use of government-mandated project labor agreements. 
 
Introduced by state Sen. Jim Anderson, R-District 68, this measure prevents the state and its localities from mandating controversial Project Labor Agreements on any taxpayer-funded construction project, thereby ensuring all Wyoming construction workers, including the approximately 97% of the state’s construction workforce that has chosen not to belong to a union, can build their communities. 
 
“As the Biden administration continues its all-out assault on merit shop contractors, Wyoming has chosen to protect their construction workers and taxpayers by ensuring all projects in the state will be procured via fair and open competition, even if the project receives federal dollars,” ABC Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs Ben Brubeck said. “State leaders have sent the message that Wyoming doesn’t do business through political favoritism and discriminatory policy, and that all of Wyoming’s construction workforce is welcome to compete to rebuild their communities.” 
 
This story was published on March 29, 2023.