WASHINGTON - Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) filed comments with the U.S. Department of Labor on a proposed rulemaking that will make revisions to the reporting requirements of labor organizations under the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA.) While indicating its support for the department?EUR??,,????'???s issuance of the proposed rule, ABC encouraged the department to revise the rule to better report and monitor union job targeting programs. In its letter to the Department of Labor, ABC said that the current Notice for Proposed Rulemaking did not adequately address a special type of union fund most commonly found in the construction industry: the job targeting or market recovery fund. ?EUR??,,????'??Job targeting is illegal in federal construction and full disclosure will help enforce the law,?EUR??,,????'?? wrote Bill Spencer, ABC Vice President for Government Affairs. ?EUR??,,????'??The Department of Labor and the courts have consistently determined that collecting job targeting funds from employees is illegal under the prevailing wage law for federal construction projects.?EUR??,,????'?? ?EUR??,,????'??Unions have largely evaded detection and punishment with regard to the illegal funding of job targeting programs because of their total lack of accountability under the present reporting structure,?EUR??,,????'?? wrote Spencer. ?EUR??,,????'??It is nevertheless evident that millions of dollars are being illegally rebated from Davis-Bacon projects each year back to employers as a result of the current funding and disbursement of job targeting programs. The revised forms must be further clarified or improved so as to allow public accounting and exposure of illegal job targeting practices.?EUR??,,????'?? ?EUR??,,????'??Unions have largely evaded detection and punishment with regard to the illegal funding of job targeting programs because of their total lack of accountability under the present reporting structure,?EUR??,,????'?? wrote Spencer. ?EUR??,,????'??It is nevertheless evident that millions of dollars are being illegally rebated from Davis-Bacon projects each year back to employers as a result of the current funding and disbursement of job targeting programs. The revised forms must be further clarified or improved so as to allow public accounting and exposure of illegal job targeting practices.?EUR??,,????'?? At ABC?EUR??,,????'???s recent national convention in San Diego, ABC President and CEO Kirk Pickerel called members to action, encouraging them to issue comments to the Department of Labor. ?EUR??,,????'??We want ABC to be on record for our strong support for Labor Secretary Elaine Chao?EUR??,,????'???s efforts to enforce the law on union financial disclosures,?EUR??,,????'?? said Pickerel citing recent reports documenting ?EUR??,,????'??a wave of union financial scandals, including the ULLICO scandal, which some are calling the ?EUR??,,????'??unions?EUR??,,????'??? Enron.?EUR??,,????'????EUR??,,????'?? ?EUR??,,????'??ABC, on behalf of its members and their employees, has long been concerned that the statutory mandate of the LMRDA has been unfulfilled due to inadequate union disclosure requirements,?EUR??,,????'?? wrote Spencer. ?EUR??,,????'??ABC applauds the department for its much needed proposed rule. Publication of the final rule should be expedited so that the improvements can take effect in the current fiscal year.?EUR??,,????'??