On Friday, February 6, 2009, President Barack Obama issued what may be the most far reaching of the various Executive Orders he has issued affecting federal contractors.

The Executive Order, entitled “Use of Project Labor Agreements for Federal Construction Projects,” sets forth an official government policy to recommend that executive agencies begin requiring project labor agreements in all large-scale construction projects.  The order defines “large scale construction project” as any project where the cost to the federal government is $25 million or more.  The order also defines a “project labor agreement” as “a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor unions that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific construction project.”    (more…)

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“ARRA” or “the Act”) has been largely publicized in terms of its price tag, roughly $787 billion.  However, the Act also contains several provisions affecting employers’ workplace duties.  (more…)

President Barack Obama has executed three executive orders covering contractors who receive money from the federal government.

In Executive Order 13495, entitled “Notification of Employee Rights Under Federal Labor Laws,” President Obama expressly revoked President Bush’s Beck Order which required federal contractors to inform employees of their right to refuse to pay union dues for non-collective bargaining activities.  In addition, the order requires that all federal contractors and subcontractors post a notice to employees informing the employees of their rights under federal labor laws.  This notice must be posted in a conspicuous place on the worksite where other notices are posted, and if other notices are posted electronically, the new notice must be posted electronically as well. (more…)

President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (“Fair Pay Act”) into law last Thursday, making it the first bill he signed as President.  The Fair Pay Act overturns the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 (2007), and expands the length of time an employee has to file a claim of pay discrimination.  It also potentially expands the class of individuals with standing to bring a claim of pay discrimination.  As a result, employers may be subject to litigation for pay decisions made many years in the past and also may need to adjust their record keeping policies. (more…)