National Alliance for Fair Contracting
Executive Summary

The National Alliance for Fair Contracting (NAFC) acts as an information exchange for the many enforcement groups and contractors competing in public construction. Throughout the nation, state and local agencies have suffered significant decreases in funding resulting in a lack of staff to enforce compliance with public works laws. Enforcement of public labor standards, which responsible contractors rely on in the public works market, has increasingly fallen on the shoulders of private contract compliance and fair contracting organizations. In absence of adequate enforcement, the fair contractors are unable to compete with those contractors who underbid public jobs never intending to comply with prevailing wages or contract requirements.

There is a growing level of noncompliance with state and federal public contracting laws. Successful enforcement and prosecution of the violators of public laws are the most effective deterrent. Fair contracting is an area where labor-management and workers can both obtain immediate and significant benefits, which can only be derived from mutual cooperation. This protects workers employed in the industry and ensures fair contractors the ability to compete competitively to win public funded projects, enabling honest contractors the ability to increase market share.

NAFC is a 302(c)(9) labor-management committee created to promote and encourage fair contracting organizations. NAFC's board of directors is comprised of twelve members; six fair contracting organizations, three employer/contractor organizations and three labor organizations. NAFC is an industry driven organization whose goals are to assure that the laws governing public works are known to contractors, public contracting agencies and workers.

Twice a year, NAFC conducts meetings for directors of fair contracting organizations and attorneys who represent these groups, labor unions, contractor associations or clients committed to the mission of fair contracting. The meeting provides those in attendance with the opportunity to share with each other current legal developments and strategies of particular interest to fair contracting organizations, unions and contractors who support them.

To further promote fair contracting and inform compliance organizations of other group activities, NAFC has established the publication Prevailing Times. This publication highlights activities of fair contracting groups around the nation and is used as a resource to educate public bodies and individuals about the activities of their organizations.

One of the many attributes of this organization is the ability to bring people together to exchange ideas and stories on how to benefit honest contractors and workers. NAFC annually holds a national conference that draws participants from labor-management organizations, labor unions and contractor associations from around the nation. The conference covers a variety of issues important in leveling the playing field for those who compete and work on public construction projects.

Speakers and workshops provide those in attendance with information focusing on such topics as strategies for fighting sham apprenticeship programs; making the case for Responsible Bidder and Pre-qualification requirements to awarding agencies; strategies for job site activity and monitoring; using state and local laws to level the playing field and incorporating bid protests into fair contracting programs, to name but a few.

The National Alliance for Fair Contracting has created a website which contains material crucial to educating parties on the benefits of prevailing wage laws. Through the website you have access to numerous studies which defend prevailing wage laws and their effect on the productivity of a workforce, benefits to state and local economies and refute claims from prevailing wage opponents. This website also provides a forum for members to discuss issues and provide information to other organizations.