A new survey from Associated Builders and Contractors, conducted by The Harris Poll across six battleground states, reports that nonunion skilled trades workers, representing roughly 90 percent of the construction workforce, were a decisive voting bloc in 2024, including support for Donald Trump.

For contractors, the findings intersect directly with federal procurement policy. ABC argues that continued use of government-mandated project labor agreements on federally funded work could restrict bidder pools by excluding or discouraging merit shop contractors and their crews. That constraint can affect bid coverage, pricing, and schedule risk on large public projects.

ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman said the data shows nonunion trades workers aligned more closely with Republican candidates in 2024 than union counterparts, across measures of party identification, candidate support and policy preferences. He added that nonunion workers substantially outnumber union workers in the surveyed states, shaping both labor availability and electoral dynamics.

From a jobsite perspective, PLA requirements can change hiring pathways, apprenticeship utilization and subcontractor selection. Firms that operate open shop may need to evaluate compliance costs, workforce portability, and potential productivity impacts when bidding PLA-covered work. Conversely, agencies use PLAs to standardize work rules and labor supply on complex projects—factors contractors must weigh against competition and cost.

Survey highlights with field implications:

Workforce mix: Nonunion workers comprise 76 to 98 percent of the construction electorate in the six states, critical for labor sourcing and capacity planning.Candidate support differentials: Nonunion support for Trump exceeded union support by 7 to 19 points depending on state—relevant to policy continuity risk. Contracting preferences: Skilled trades workers opposed union preferences in federal contracting by roughly 2:1, signals potential friction with PLA expansion.Best-value selection: 83 percent of nonunion and 73 percent of union respondents agreed agencies should select contractors based on best value rather than union affiliation—implicates procurement criteria and bid evaluation frameworks.

Why it matters on the jobsite:

• Bid coverage and pricing: Narrower bidder pools can elevate pricing and reduce competitive pressure.
• Labor availability: PLA conditions may affect crew mobility and access to local labor, especially in tight markets.
• Schedule risk: Changes to hiring halls, work rules or jurisdictional boundaries can introduce coordination risk on multi-trade projects.
• Compliance: Contractors must manage PLA-specific reporting, benefit contributions and apprenticeship ratios alongside standard contract requirements.

ABC frames the upcoming midterm cycle as a decision point on federal contracting policy, with potential implications for competition, cost control and workforce access on publicly funded projects.