As the Biden Administration rolls out its proposal to require all employers with more than 100 employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly, industry groups are meeting with the Administration, including the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

NLBMDA staff met with officials from the White House Office of Management and Budget, Department of Labor and Small Business Administration last Friday to express concerns regarding the proposed Emergency Temporary Standard on mandatory vaccination and testing requirements for private employers.

“NLBMDA appreciated the opportunity to articulate the concerns of lumber and building material dealers regarding the implementation of the Administration’s proposed vaccination and testing mandate,” said NLBMDA president and CEO Jonathan Paine. “As our country continues to grapple with crippling labor shortages and supply chain constraints, NLBMDA urged the Administration to weigh the economic impact that this proposed Emergency Temporary Standard would have on the lumber and building material industry.”

Bloomberg Law reported late last week that similar meetings will take place in the coming weeks among the White House, pro-business groups and worker advocacy organizations, including NAM in that list.

“We look forward to working with the Administration to ensure any vaccine requirements are structured in a way that does not negatively impact the operations of manufacturers that have been leading through the pandemic to keep Americans safe,” said NAM in a press release issued in September. “It is important that undue compliance costs do not burden manufacturers, large and small alike.”

NLBMDA also implored the Administration during its meeting “to work with stakeholders to ensure the Emergency Temporary Standard is feasible for small businesses and does not negatively disrupt the day-to-day operations of LBM dealers and others in the building material supply chain.”