Political Action

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Funding

In April, federal grant awards under the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Green and Resilient Retrofit Program were permanently frozen. The program, which was funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), was designed to provide grants and loans to finance energy efficiency upgrades at affordable housing developments. At least one project in Minnesota, Vista Village in Saint Paul, has been put on hold while the awarded funds remain frozen.

McVan, Madison. “DOGE Cancels Nearly $4 Million in Federal Funds Meant to Rehab Affordable Apartments.” Minnesota Reformer, April 14, 2025. Link

Apprenticeship

On April 23rd, Pres. Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) to, “optimize and target Federal investments in workforce development to align with our country’s reindustrialization needs.”This follows Pres. Trump’s decision in March to reverse a Biden-era requirement for labor-management forums and agency directives to consult with businesses, educational institutions, and labor unions on ways to improve registered apprenticeship programs. Notably, this latest EO does not require the federal government to consult with labor unions on ways to expand apprenticeship. These EOs by the Trump administration relating to apprenticeship appear to be setting the stage for another attempt at promoting Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs).

Exec. Order No. 14278, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” 90 Fed. Reg. 17525 (April 23, 2025).
Economic Policy Institute. “Executive Order on ‘Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future.’” April 23, 2025. Link

Workplace Safety

In early April, major layoffs were announced at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) affecting nearly 10,000 employees. Among the affected HHS sub-agencies and offices is the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which lost nearly 850 of its approximately 1,000 employees. NIOSH was created in 1970 to investigate and research workplace hazards, and to provide recommendations for proposed occupational health and safety regulations. NIOSH also maintains the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, which tests and certifies PPE, including respirators, for their efficacy. NIOSH’s work has contributed to regulations limiting permissible exposure to hazards such as silica dust, asbestos and lead, as well as reducing the spread of pathogens and diseases. As a result of the layoffs, many ongoing research projects have been paused and workplace safety will suffer.

Johnson, Carla K. “Mass Layoffs Begin at HHS Agencies Responsible for Research, Trackingdisease and Regulating Food.” PBS, April 1, 2025. Link
Stobbe, Mike. “Layoffs Threaten US Firefighter Cancer Registry, Mine Research and Mask Lab.” Associated Press, April 5, 2025. Link
AFL-CIO. “CALL: Reverse Gutting of Core Worker Safety Agency, NIOSH,” n.d. Link

Tarrifs

On April 2nd, Pres. Trump declared a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) and announced a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports into the United States. The Trump administration also announced additional country-specific tariffs on top of the baseline 10% tariff rate for the entire world. These country-specific tariffs, with the exception of those imposed on China, were paused for 90 days. As a result of the new tariffs, at the end of April the number of shipping vessels scheduled to arrive at the Port of Los Angeles was down by nearly a third, and nationally down 11%, compared to the same period in 2024. In anticipation of the tariffs, nonresidential building materials prices were up 9% at an annualized rate in the first two months of 2025 due to builders stockpiling materials. The U.S. economy shrank by 0.3% between January-March, primarily due to the uncertainty created by the Trump administration’s ever-shifting economic policies. Two consecutive quarters of GDP decline is often the indicator that is used to determine if the economy is in a recession.

“Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase Our Competitive Edge, Protect Our Sovereignty, and Strengthen Our National and Economic Security.” The White House, April 2, 2025. Link
Mangan, Dan. “Trump Temporarily Drops Tariffs to 10% for Most Countries, Hits China Harder with 125%.” CNBC, April 9, 2025. Link
Parrington, Richard. “Trump Tariff s Prompt Slump in Shipments to US Ports.” The Guardian, April 28, 2025. Link
Obando, Sebastian. “Sweeping New Tariffs Put Future Construction Projects at Risk.” Construction Dive, April 3, 2025. Link
Brown, Courtenay, and Neil Irwin. “U.S. Economy Shrinks at 0.3% Rate in First Trump-Era GDP Report.” Axios, April 30, 2025. Link
Treisman, Rachel. “Tariffs Are Fueling Fears of a Recession. What Does It Take to Actually Declare One?” NPR, April 7, 2025. Link

NLRB

On January 27th, Pres. Trump illegally fired Gwynne Wilcox from the NLRB, which marks the first time in the NLRB’s 90-year history that a President has removed a board member. On March 6^th, a federal district court judge ruled that Pres. Trump did not follow the law when he fired Wilcox, and ordered Wilcox reinstated. On March 28th, a three-judge panel for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency motion for a stay of the district court’s decision, and removed Wilcox again. Then on April 7^th, the entire D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the previous order from the three-judge panel, and Wilcox was once again reinstated. Finally, on April 9th, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the Trump administration a stay of the March 6th district court order, and Wilcox was once again removed from the NLRB. As of the end of April, the NLRB lacks a quorum to decide future labor law cases.

On April 14th, a protected whistleblower disclosure was provided to the Senate Intelligence Committee and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel concerning a cybersecurity breach at the NLRB. The whistleblower, Daniel Berulis, is an IT specialist at the NLRB. In his disclosure, Berulis alleges that recent activities by Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operatives within the NLRB’s IT systems have resulted in, “a significant cybersecurity breach that likely has and continues to expose our government to foreign intelligence and our nation’s adversaries.” Berulis further alleges that DOGE operatives appear to have accessed and taken sensitive and nonpublic data from the NLRB relating to lists of union activists, case notes, social security numbers, home addresses, and proprietary corporate data. Berulis also alleges that in response to his internal investigation of the breach he received a “threatening note taped to the door of his home with photographs of him walking in his neighborhood taken via drone.”In over a dozen court cases involving other government agencies, DOGE is alleged to have illegally accessed sensitive personal and financial data on American citizens and businesses in violation of federal privacy laws.

Sainato, Michael. “Court Rules Trump’s Firing of Labor Board Official Illegal, Saying President Is Not a King.” The Guardian, March 6, 2025. Link
Bruenig, Matt. “Supreme Court Removes Board Member Gwynne Wilcox.” NLRB Edge, April 10, 2025. Link
Hurley, Lawrence. “Supreme Court Allows Trump to Fire Independent Agency Members.” NBC News, April 9, 2025. Link
Bakaj, Andrew P. “RE: Disclosure of Cyber Security Breach and Data Exfiltration through DOGE Systems and Whistleblower/Witness Intimidation.” Whistleblower Aid, April 14, 2025. Link
McLaughlin, Jenna. “A Whistleblower’s Disclosure Details How DOGE May Havetaken Sensitive Labor Data.” NPR, April 15, 2025. Link
Satter, Raphael, and A.J. Vicens. “Whistleblower Org Says DOGE May Have Caused ‘significant Cyber Breach’ at US Labor Watchdog.” Reuters, April 15, 2025. Link
Fowler, Stephen, and Shannon Bond. “What Has DOGE Done in Trump’s First 100 Days?” NPR, April 28, 2025. Link

Enforcement Policies

In late March, an internal memo issued by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche outlined a vision for restructuring how the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) handles white-collar crime and corruption. The memo calls for scaling back the units that investigate and prosecute fraud, closing anti-trust offices, and reassigning tax division attorneys. This will make it easier for shady businesses to cheat American workers and consumers while evading taxes.

Barrett, Devlin, and Glenn Thrush. “Justice Dept. Considers Merging Drug and Gun Agencies in Broader Reorganization.” The New York Times, March 27, 2025. Link

CARPENTERS IN ACTION

The Carpenters Union stands for fair, safe, and respectful jobs for all workers. We expose developers and contractors who exploit workers, cheat our communities, and lower the standard of living for all of us.

Our union supports elected officials who support workers and opposes those who undermine what we stand for. If recent years have shown us anything, it is that bipartisan support is the only way to get things done.

From the State Legislature to job sites, we defend prevailing wages, quality apprenticeship programs, and opportunity for all workers. In Congress, we support leaders who fight for working families by raising the minimum wage, ending corporate handouts, and restoring workplace rights.

RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE

POLITICAL INTEREST SURVEY

2024

Congressional Scorecard

A cornerstone of Carpenter Economics is that we lobby our issues to Democrats and Republicans. Whether that is roads, bridges, transit, aviation, ports or other transportation work, whether Congress is weighing in on energy, housing, or industrial development, or other sectors of the economy, Carpenters Economics means fighting for jobs for you and your family.

View the 2024 Congressional Scorecard >>

Carpenter Economics

The North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters' political support is directed in ways that support Prevailing Wage, Member Work Hours, and Market Share. As the next General Election approaches, make sure you know where your candidates stand on carpenter economics.

Union carpenters receive highest quality training with livable wages and benefits from day one. Our carpenters are able to work on the biggest, most complex projects and still return home safe. Union Carpenters enjoy a middle class way of life and a secure retirement while building our states right the first time.

It is important that when you go to the polls or have conversations with your elected leaders, that you bring Carpenter Economics with you. Elections will determine infrastructure packages, bonding bills, policies, wages, benefits and ultimately job security. It is important that Carpenter Economics is always at the forefront because your vote matters.

Prevailing Wage Laws

For nearly 100 years, the federal Davis-Bacon Act has helped to ensure that local contractors can compete on a level playing field for federally funded projects. The law was cosponsored by two Republican senators (James Davis - PA and Robert Bacon - NY) based on concerns about contractors from low-wage markets undercutting contractors from their respective states.

Prevailing wage laws set the wage and benefit floor based on local survey data of the going rate for particular crafts. This ensures that work on government-financed projects does not undercut area standards. It levels the playing field for local workers and local contractors.

Publicly funded projects generally award bids to contractors who have the lowest-cost bid to do the work by the government's standards. Without prevailing wage requirements, a simple way to cut bid costs is by cutting worker pay and benefits, creating a race-to-the-bottom which can encourage practices like wage theft and other payroll fraud.

To learn more, read the NorthStar Policy Action's Prevailing Wage Policies: Preventing Workplace Abuses Before They Happen.

TAX FRAUD

North Central Regional Council of Carpenters’ members and signatory contractors set the standard for the construction industry in the Upper Midwest; setting a high-bar for training, productivity, on-the-job safety, safe working conditions, apprenticeships, and wages and benefits.

We have worked hard to build these standards and will work even hard to defend what we have built. There are always developers and contractors who are willing to cheat the system, taking advantage of workers, paying crews as little as possible or not paying them at all, and even bending or breaking the law through the shadow economy.

Billions of dollars in tax revenue and a failure to pay promised wages, mandatory payroll taxes and workers compensation insurance puts a large burden on carpenters as well as federal, state and local governments.

Tax fraud not only costs taxpayers billions, payroll fraud hurts honest businesses and exploits workers. Honest contractors are losing business opportunities. Hard working carpenters are losing work. Holding dishonest contractors accountable creates a level, competitive playing field for those who build our community and bolster our local economy. STAND UP TO TAX FRAUD.

LEARN MORE