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SWACCA President Testifies Before House Committee On Misclassification In The Construction Industry

“Townsend really has it right when he talked about his industry in particular.” – D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine, speaking at Congressional Subcommittee 

WASHINGTON, DC — On Thursday, Sept. 26, Matt Townsend, the President of the Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA) and Chief Executive Officer of OCP Contractors, Inc., located in Holland, Ohio, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor Workforce Protections Subcommittee at a hearing titled Misclassification of Employees: Examining the Costs to Workers, Businesses, and the Economy.

In his testimony, Townsend outlined how the misclassification of employees impacts the construction industry, particularly the competitive disadvantage it creates for law-abiding employers.

As Townsend noted, “Law-abiding employers like the ones SWACCA represents do not wish to be complicit in misclassification in order to compete. I am thankful for the opportunity to share with Congress exactly how these misclassification schemes tilt the playing field against law-abiding employers in the construction industry while also harming workers and taxpayers.”

SWACCA has established itself as a leader in the fight against misclassification in the construction industry. Last Congress, SWACCA strongly opposed passage of legislation that would have eliminated barriers to misclassifying workers as independent contractors. A letter submitted on behalf of SWACCA opposing passage of the bill was cited in a House Committee report and on the floor of the House of Representatives during debate. SWACCA also fought to ensure that an IRS rulemaking initiated by the passage of the 2017 tax reform legislation did not create a financial incentive for workers to accept being misclassified in exchange for a favorable
“pass-through” tax deduction.

​For those interested in viewing the SWACCA President's testimony​, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kua9KfM--2U&t=2219​

For those interested in viewing the recording of the entire hearing, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kua9KfM--2U

The Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA) is a national organization of signatory wall and ceiling contractors committed to working in partnership with its workforce to provide the highest-quality, most efficient construction services possible to its customers. SWACCA prides itself on representing companies that fully embrace their commitment to their customers and their employees.

 

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