2008 NRMCA Government Affairs Fly-In/Board of Directors Meeting
September 21-23, 2008 | The Fairmont Hotel, Washington, DC
Know the Issues

Card Check: The ready mixed concrete industry opposes the so-called Employee Free Choice Act. This scheme would take away a worker’s right to a federally supervised private ballot election system when deciding whether or not to join a union. It would replace the private ballot with a biased and inferior process called “Card Check” that allows a union to organize if a majority of workers simply sign a card. Under this system, workers’ votes are made public to their employer, the union organizers and co-workers.

Please help the ready mixed concrete industry ensure that Card Check doesn’t take away workers’ rights and undermine the democratic principles of a private ballot election.

Highway Trust Fund: There is a projected $14 billion shortfall in transportation infrastructure funding in fiscal year 2009. This projected shortfall would create a 34 percent reduction in state highway funds and place nearly 500,000 American jobs in jeopardy. It is critical that the Highway Trust Fund remain solvent to sustain the long-term economic productivity and quality of life enhancements that result from federal highway investment.

Truck Weights: Federal truck weight regulations need to be updated by increasing the gross weight limits on the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System (IHS). Current federal weight limits for large trucks traveling on the IHS are set at 20,000 lbs. for a single axle, 34,000 lbs. for tandem axles, and 80,000 lbs. gross weight. In addition, trucks are subject to the Federal Bridge Formula which limits the size and weight of trucks by calculating the gross weight over the spacing and number of axles. These regulations, coupled with the unique heavy tare weight of ready mixed concrete, trucks forces concrete mixers onto less robust secondary roads, causes congestion, makes for potentially unsafe driving conditions, prematurely degrades secondary roadways and drastically cuts industry efficiency.

 Research shows that increased weight limits would alleviate traffic congestion, increase safety, save millions of dollars annually on pavement and bridge maintenance and increase the productivity of large trucks, such as ready mixed concrete trucks.

The ready mixed concrete industry advocates for increased truck weights on the IHS as part of the 2009 SAFETEA-LU reauthorization.

Green Transportation Infrastructure: Currently, there is pending legislation titled the Green Transportation Infrastructure Research and Technology Transfer Act (H.R. 5161) which promises to provide a unique opportunity for the ready mixed concrete industry. The legislation would provide grants to research centers specializing in transportation research, located at twelve different universities across the nation, known as university transportation centers (UTC). The UTCs would focus on providing cost-effective ways of mitigating environmental impacts of transportation infrastructure through implementation of new technologies like pervious concrete

 The ready mixed concrete industry is pushing for similar language to be included in the 2009 SAFETEA-LU reauthorization as part of a greater “green” theme.