Colorado Real Estate Journal - December 16, 2015
Associated Builders and Contractors launched Building America: The Merit Shop Scorecard, which reviews and grades state-specific information significant to the success of the commercial and industrial construction industry. The scorecard website, meritshopscorecard.org, identifies states that have created an environment where merit shop contractors are well positioned to succeed and states where strategic improvements need to be made in order to create a friendly business climate. The Merit Shop Scorecard grades states on project labor agreement, prevailing wage and right-to-work policies as well as their construction job growth rate, commitment to developing a well-trained workforce, level of flexibility in career and technical education curricula and use of public-private partnerships. “The Merit Shop Scorecard will be a useful tool for lawmakers and industry stakeholders to explain how state policies affect the ability of contractors to conduct business and expand their operations,” said ABC Director of Labor and Federal Procurement Ben Brubeck. “The scorecard highlights high-performing states that have enacted policies opposing anti-competitive schemes and restrictive, cost-inflating mandates while embracing fairness in the workplace. It also identifies low-performing states that have failed to foster environments where businesses can thrive, invest and create construction jobs in local communities.” Colorado’s overall rank was 22. On its report card, Colorado received an F for not being a right-to-work state, however, it received a B for four-year average job growth rate and an A for prevailing wage.