Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Association of Manufacturers, joined by other business groups, filed suit in the Western District of Texas to challenge the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s final rule amending the Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process (Walkaround Rule).

The Walkaround Rule will allow an unlimited number of third parties, such as union representatives, plaintiffs’ attorneys and community organizers, to accompany OSHA inspectors on safety inspections.

“OSHA’s rule does nothing to advance its mission of improving workplace safety,” said NAM Chief Legal Officer Linda Kelly. “This rule is well beyond the scope of OSHA’s authority, and it infringes on manufacturers’ right to exclude others from their property, threatens new liabilities and risks compromising manufacturers’ intellectual property. The NAM Legal Center is filing suit to prevent this harm.”

Background:

• For more than 50 years, OSHA’s walkaround regulation authorized only an employee of an employer to serve as another employee’s representative during an OSHA inspection.
• In 2013, then-Deputy Assistant Labor Secretary Richard Fairfax issued a letter—commonly referred to as the Fairfax Memo or Sallman Letter—to a member of the Service Workers International Union, which stated that a nonemployee affiliated with a union or community organization could serve as a representative of employees during an OSHA inspection at a worksite without a collective bargaining agreement.
• In 2017, a trade group challenged the Fairfax Memo as unlawfully issued outside the notice-and-comment process and inconsistent with OSHA’s regulation that authorized only an employee of an employer to serve as another employee’s representative during an OSHA inspection.
• A federal court in Texas agreed with the trade group, and the Trump administration later rescinded the memo.
• In August 2023, OSHA released the proposed Walkaround Rule, and the NAM submitted comments urging OSHA to withdraw it.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers announced that former Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for WTO and Multilateral Affairs Andrea Durkin is joining the NAM as the new vice president of international policy.

“Andrea brings a wealth of expertise to the job, with more than three decades of service in both the public and private sectors. As a leader in international trade negotiations, her deep understanding of international policy will enhance the NAM’s strategic objectives significantly as we continue to build off of successful engagements with our counterparts across Europe and the North American continent,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.

“As manufacturers in America look for new ways to reach global markets and the 95% of customers that live outside the borders of the United States, Andrea is set to lead an ambitious expansion of the NAM’s international policy operation. She will work to uphold our commitment to shaping a global trade strategy that opens new markets with our allies and trading partners around the world, which, in turn, will create vast opportunities for manufacturers in the U.S. to create well-paying jobs, innovate and achieve new milestones in improving the quality of life for everyone.”

Durkin is one of the nation’s foremost experts on international policy, drawing from decades of experience serving in Democratic and Republican administrations. As a senior executive in the Office of the President, she led trade negotiations and U.S. policy at the WTO and was responsible for committees on industrial subsidies, technical barriers to trade, government procurement, trade facilitation, customs and others. She was also the U.S. senior official for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Trade Committee, G7 and G20 trade tracks.

In years prior, Durkin served in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration, where she led a variety of negotiations, including free trade agreements in the Western Hemisphere, sectoral initiatives in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and trade-related aspects of United Nations’ multilateral environment and public health agreements.

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the introduction of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Reform Act, National Association of Manufacturers Managing Vice President of Policy Chris Netram released the following statement:

“For more than three years, manufacturers—particularly small and medium-sized manufacturers—have been paying millions of dollars in higher prices for critical inputs due to the expiration of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill. This legislation is a significant step forward for manufacturers, which are losing more than $1.3 million every day on products not available in the U.S.—more than $1.5 billion overall.

“Restoring the MTB would strengthen manufacturing here at home, giving our sector the ability to source raw materials and components that can’t be produced domestically at scale or at competitive prices.

“Historically, the MTB has always had bipartisan support, and we thank House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith for his leadership and efforts to introduce MTB legislation. We urge the House to act quickly so that we can get one step closer to getting this critical legislation to President Biden’s desk.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the Biden administration’s announcement of new 301 tariffs targeting Chinese products in sectors including electric vehicles, solar equipment, semiconductors, batteries, medical equipment and critical minerals, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Manufacturers are concerned about the potential impact this broad swath of tariffs could have on our ability to produce the essential products needed to drive our economy forward, especially if critical inputs become less available and more costly.

“The NAM has long advocated for a full global strategy and a rules-based trading system that benefit manufacturers and workers by opening new markets with our allies. But when countries play by their own rules and create distortions, the U.S. should consider the use of all legislative and enforcement tools.

“The expansion of manufacturers’ global reach through a more open and more fair global trading environment has been pivotal to expanding U.S. industrial production to record levels, enabling businesses of all sizes to raise wages and create more high-skilled U.S. jobs. That is why manufacturers urge the administration to negotiate new trade agreements with allies and partners around the world and create a new, comprehensive and transparent 301 exclusion process to ensure that manufacturing in America is not being disadvantaged by our own government.

“Politicians and policymakers on both sides of the aisle need to understand that we can’t instantly reshape supply chains that took decades to build—especially the supply chains that bring us vital inputs and components essential to our everyday lives.

“Additionally, to fully unleash the power of manufacturing in the United States, policymakers must also ensure that America maintains a competitive tax and regulatory regime that allows manufacturers to ramp up domestic investment; streamline the permitting process so that new facilities and energy and infrastructure projects will not be held up by red tape; grow the manufacturing workforce; and protect innovation. Together, these policies will help manufacturers create jobs, grow wages and expand exports to the 95% of customers who reside outside of our border.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the House Ways and Means Committee’s unanimous approval of legislation to reform pharmacy benefit managers—middlemen who unfairly increase the prices that patients pay at the pharmacy counter by controlling negotiations between insurers and biopharmaceutical manufacturers—in Medicare markets, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“The NAM commends the Ways and Means Committee for unanimously taking a powerful step toward reforming the PBM system and lowering the cost of health care for all Americans.

“When Americans face soaring prices for medicines or treatments, there’s a good chance that is because a PBM has driven up the price. These middlemen operate with minimal transparency, and their practices distort the market, increasing the list prices patients pay for medicines while making it more difficult for manufacturers to offer quality, affordable health care benefits.

“By increasing transparency into PBMs’ business models and delinking their compensation from a medicine’s list price, these critical PBM provisions will significantly reduce costs for seniors who rely on Medicare for health care coverage. Congress should advance these important reforms.

“In addition, manufacturers encourage Congress to enact similar reforms in the commercial insurance market to bring down health care costs for manufacturing workers participating in employer-sponsored plans.”

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Manufacturers released a first-of-its-kind report, “Working Smarter: How Manufacturers Are Using Artificial Intelligence,” detailing use cases for artificial intelligence in manufacturing and case studies of how manufacturers are already implementing AI technologies to strengthen America’s workforce, advance innovation and improve the quality of life for everyone.

The report provides an overview of insights from leading manufacturers, including Johnson & Johnson, Schneider Electric and Hitachi, on how AI can improve efficiency, product development, safety, predictive maintenance and supply chain logistics. The report also outlines a series of recommendations on how policymakers can help support the safe, responsible development of AI while promoting innovation and growth.

“So much of the media and policymaking conversation is focused on generative AI, but AI is far more than that for modern manufacturers,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “It’s infused increasingly throughout the shop floor, research and development and beyond. Manufacturers are leading the way in the use and development of new AI technologies. From developing more effective clinical trials and improving workplace safety to strengthening supply chain resiliency and supporting workforce training for employees, AI is unlocking new opportunities to strengthen our modern manufacturing workforce and improve the lives of all Americans. Congress and the Biden administration can support manufacturers’ adoption of AI by enacting strong data privacy protections, investing in workforce training and providing regulatory certainty.”

“All possible futures for modern manufacturing in the U.S. involve AI,” said Johnson & Johnson Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Operations & Risk Officer and NAM Board Chair Kathy Wengel. “Given the importance of this generational technology, policymakers must develop sensible, carefully thought-out frameworks for various AI applications—and they should lean on manufacturers’ years of experience to engineer those frameworks. We need a policy environment that supports innovation and growth in manufacturing AI, because it will bolster U.S. competitiveness and leadership in this critical emerging field.”

Policy recommendations include the following:

• Invest in R&D and career technical education institutions that train the modern manufacturing workforce.
• Enact federal privacy legislation that advances individuals’ privacy and provides legal clarity that supports continued innovation and competitiveness.
• Employ a risk-based approach that tailors any new AI regulations—only if new regulations are necessary—to specific use cases and minimizes compliance burdens.
• Ensure that regulatory frameworks are aligned globally to maintain U.S. global leadership. The more disparate the approach to AI around the world, the more time, energy and investment companies will need to spend navigating misalignments.

Learn more here.

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the release of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new regulations on greenhouse gas emissions standards for certain power plants, National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Manufacturers appreciate the EPA removing existing gas plants from its new regulation, following manufacturers’ warnings about the initial proposal. However, the rest of the rule causes serious concern because Congress and the president have not enacted permitting reform—making it impossible to achieve the EPA’s highly aspirational mandates. We call on Congress to get serious by enacting significant and meaningful permitting reform this year. That is essential to ramping up the use of renewables, carbon capture, hydrogen and nuclear, for example, to meet future demand.

“The final rule threatens grid reliability because of the unrealistic timeline for power plants to adopt technologies within the next 10 years that have yet to even be proven at scale. Our nation should be doing everything possible to make sure our families, businesses and manufacturers have a modern, strong and reliable electrical grid, especially at a time when global turmoil threatens our energy security. This new rule does the opposite, creating a threat to our national and economic security that literally could leave Americans in the dark and factories offline. In short, the EPA is rolling the dice with Americans’ electricity and therefore with President Biden’s manufacturing legacy.

“Our industry has made transformational investments in these technologies and clean energy solutions, and we are leading the way in their deployment. The EPA should be partnering with us—not undermining this progress. We will continue to press the administration to achieve a more balanced regulatory framework to help reach our climate goals.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the Federal Trade Commission’s vote in favor of a rule that would prohibit employers and their employees from entering noncompete agreements, National Association of Manufacturers Managing Vice President of Policy Chris Netram released the following statement:

“The FTC’s rule banning noncompete agreements is unprecedented and threatens manufacturers’ ability to attract and retain talent. In addition, today’s action puts at risk the security of intellectual property and trade secrets—anathema to an industry that accounts for 53% of all private-sector R&D.

“An NAM survey found that 66% of respondents—manufacturers of all sizes—said the ban would interfere with their operations, and nearly half said it would impact employee training programs. The ban could force manufacturers to revamp their human capital operations completely, enact burdensome controls or silo parts of their operations from each other, which would result in less training for employees, less collaboration, less innovation and less efficiency. The NAM will weigh all options in response to the commission’s vote, so that well-paying manufacturing jobs and innovation are not compromised.”

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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the release of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division rule concerning updates to the overtime regulations, National Association of Manufacturers Managing Vice President of Policy Chris Netram released the following statement:

“Quarter after quarter, manufacturers cite workforce issues, such as attracting and retaining skilled employees, as their biggest business challenge. Yet today’s rule places new constraints on employers, reduces flexibility for the workers who will be reclassified and may force companies to make painful choices that limit both job creation and growth opportunities available to employees. In addition, this latest regulatory hurdle will complicate manufacturers’ efforts to fill the millions of jobs our industry is projected to create within a decade.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

Washington, D.C. – Following the House vote on the national security supplemental package, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement:

“Today’s bipartisan vote sends a powerful message that our nation is committed to standing strong in defense of democracy. Manufacturers thank Speaker Johnson for his leadership in shepherding these bills through the House at a critical juncture for our national security and for global stability.

“In March of 2022 at the onset of the Russian invasion, the NAM Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution, ‘stand[ing] with the people of Ukraine in their fight to preserve freedom and independence.’ Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke to the NAM Board of Directors in an address to the American business community, and he underscored that ‘democracy is stronger than tyranny.’ Manufacturers share that conviction and will support those in Congress who recognize the importance of standing firm for our shared values.”

-NAM-

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs nearly 13 million men and women, contributes $2.89 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 53% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.