February Chairman's Message
Posted @ 2/1/2021 9:32 AM by Molly Reagan |
Files in Uncategorized,Chairman's Message
Those of you who have been ABC members for a while are probably familiar with the phrase “Get into politics or get out of business.” Engaging with political leaders is an essential piece of representing the interests of our member companies. The newly elected Biden administration will bring a very union-centric view of our industry and his designee for labor secretary, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is representative of that. Walsh, a long-time leader of the Laborers Union, will work diligently to promote the role of unions in the construction industry.
The ripple effect from Biden’s election will also be felt locally. If, as expected, Mayor Walsh is confirmed as labor secretary, Boston City Council President Kim Janey of Roxbury will take over as mayor. Prior to Walsh’s selection, two other city councilors, Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell, had announced their intention to run for mayor this year. It’s unclear if a new mayor will still be chosen in November, or if a special election will be held before then.
A busy month on the political scene also saw Massachusetts House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who was a friend to ABC, step down to take a position at Northeastern University. He has been replaced by his longtime deputy, Rep. Ronald Mariano of Quincy. We look forward to developing a relationship with Speaker Mariano and to working with him to promote open and fair competition in the construction industry in order to protect the Massachusetts taxpayers and the local labor market.
The changing political landscape highlights the importance of our ABC Political Action Committee. ABC has an impressive record of stopping legislation that would harm our member companies, and a personal contribution to the PAC (per MA law, contributions cannot be made to a PAC from a corporation) is critical to continuing our progress. We believe the merit shop movement is a movement for the betterment of the individual, the construction industry, and the nation and we defend the system of free enterprise where employees and employers have a shared concern for the general welfare of the employee, our member companies and the construction industry at large.
Please support the ABC PAC today. You can send your personal check to:
ABC PAC
ABC MA Chapter,
100 Unicorn Park Drive, Suite 1
Woburn MA 01801
You’ve heard it before, but it’s never been truer than it is now. “Get into politics or get out of business!”