Associated Builders and Contractors of Indiana is a non-profit professional trade organization representing Merit Shop Contractors who believe in free enterprise and a market economy. Merit Shop Contractors complete 70% of all construction work in the United States.

ABC members and their employees use multi-skilled teams plus performance/skill based incentives to deliver the safest and best construction project. When you build your next project, build Merit Shop!

Why ABC opposes PLA's

The plan is quite simple and unfortunately quite coercive. Organized labor meets with city councils or state officials and makes a typical offer: Sign an agreement requiring that all successful bidders use union-only labor and all employees join or pay fees to the union. In return, the union won’t organize picket lines, slow work, or fund their political opponents. The effect is, of course, to freeze out non-union contractors and their employees who represent two-thirds of the workers and market share in Indiana. This will secure work for the unions without competition.

ABC of Indiana opposes PLAs because:

• They circumvent the Indiana Bidding Statute (lowest responsible and responsive bidder).
• They increase the cost of public projects to taxpayers.
• They artificially disrupt the free enterprise system.
• They are discriminatory in nature.