ABC’s May 6, 2026, Harris Poll delivers a clear message: nonunion construction workers are the decisive majority of the construction workforce electorate nationwide. Nonunion construction workers make up approximately 90% of the U.S. construction workforce, highlighting their significant role in the industry and local economies. For Colorado and Wyoming contractors heading into the 2026 midterms, this data creates immediate leverage in conversations with legislators, congressional delegations, and federal procurement officials.
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the 2026 Harris Poll findings on nonunion construction workers, focusing on what these results mean for ABC Rocky Mountain contractors in Colorado and Wyoming. We’ll cover the poll’s key data, its implications for federal procurement and workforce advocacy, and actionable steps contractors should take before the midterms. This information is essential for contractors seeking to influence policy, protect open competition, and ensure their workforce’s voice is heard in a changing regulatory landscape.
Non-union construction workers account for approximately 88.9% of the construction workforce in the United States, reflecting a significant preference for merit-based employment in construction. The merit shop model allows non-union workers to advance based on performance and skills rather than seniority, providing opportunities for rapid career growth. Non-union workers often have the opportunity to cross-train in multiple trades, making them more versatile and employable across diverse project types.
Nonunion workers—also called merit shop or open shop workers—are construction workers who work directly for contractors rather than through hiring halls or collective bargaining agreements. They negotiate their own rates and employment terms individually with contractors.
Across the Rocky Mountain region, these workers perform essential roles on commercial and industrial construction projects:
Associated Builders and Contractors commissioned Harris Poll to survey construction workers in six battleground states ahead of the 2026 midterms. The states—Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—represent key presidential and Senate battlegrounds where construction workforce voters will influence national policy.
The survey focused on:
While the poll did not directly sample workers in Colorado or Wyoming, its findings align with what ABC Rocky Mountain observes in regional construction markets. ABC released results to members, policymakers, and the media as part of a coordinated 2026 advocacy effort on PLAs and open competition.
The following section breaks down the poll’s findings, comparing nonunion and union construction workers in the electorate.
The Harris Poll found nonunion construction workers make up between 76% and 98% of all construction workforce voters in each surveyed state. This overwhelming majority held across all six states, though union membership varied—higher in Michigan and Pennsylvania, lower in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Key finding: Nonunion workers backed President Donald Trump by 19 percentage points more than unionized workers in Georgia, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.
Union construction workers generally earn 20-42% more than nonunion counterparts due to collective bargaining agreements, and union workers use collective bargaining to set standardized employment terms. However, non-union workers have the flexibility to negotiate their own wages based on skills, local market conditions, and individual negotiation abilities. Many non-union workers can earn competitive wages and access comprehensive benefits packages, though availability varies by contractor.
The poll asked whether federal construction contracts should be awarded based on best value—price, quality, safety record, past performance—rather than union affiliation or forced PLAs.
| Worker Type | Support Best-Value Procurement |
|---|---|
| Nonunion Workers | 83% |
| Union Workers | 73% |
This consensus suggests both union and nonunion construction workers prefer open, competitive bidding for high-quality projects. For Colorado and Wyoming contractors competing for USACE, NAVFAC, GSA, and VA projects, this data confirms that job-site workers broadly support the way merit shop firms want to compete.
Non-union workers’ benefits are determined solely by individual employers and can vary greatly. Almost all union workers have employer-provided health insurance, and most have access to defined-benefit pension plans. However, on government-funded projects, nonunion workers are often protected by prevailing wage laws, ensuring they receive legally mandated pay rates similar to area averages.
ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman called the May 6, 2026, results a “midterm wake-up call” to the Trump administration and congressional leaders. His message: federal procurement policies tilted toward PLAs effectively sideline the overwhelming majority of construction workers whose preferences and votes will shape 2026 outcomes.
ABC National continues challenging Executive Order-driven PLA mandates at agencies, including the Department of Defense, GSA, and DOT. The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirms that approximately 90% of construction workers in the United States are non-union.
ABC analysis estimates: Eliminating PLA mandates could save taxpayers billions annually by increasing competition and lowering bid prices. When union and nonunion contractors compete fairly, overall costs decrease, allowing more projects to move forward.
Project labor agreements are pre-hire collective bargaining agreements that require contractors to follow union rules, hire through union halls, and contribute to union benefit funds—even if their employees are nonunion.
For Rocky Mountain contractors bidding on USACE, NAVFAC, and military construction at Fort Carson or FE Warren AFB, PLA mandates can limit participation despite excellent safety records. The employment relationship fundamentally changes when construction companies choose to bid PLA-covered work: merit shop firms must pay into benefit systems their workers may never vest in while maintaining their own programs.
The Harris Poll gives ABC a workforce-backed mandate to argue that PLAs are out of step with what construction workers prefer for federal contracting.
Although the poll surveyed six other states, its findings mirror the workforce composition ABC Rocky Mountain sees locally. Nonunion workers are the backbone of construction in commercial and private industry in the Denver metro, Northern Colorado, Colorado Springs, and across Wyoming.
Colorado’s regulatory environment has shifted toward:
This labor law landscape means Colorado contractors increasingly rely on federal construction projects as a stabilizing pipeline of opportunities. If federal agencies simultaneously increase PLA mandates, merit shop contractors face pressure from both state and federal levels.
ABC Carolinas advocates for enforcement of labor law, tax regulations, and safety requirements to protect non-union workers and ensure fair competition—a position ABC Rocky Mountain shares.
Wyoming maintains right-to-work protections, limited state labor mandates, and collaborative industry-policymaker relationships. However, large federal projects—USACE dams and levees, Bureau of Reclamation work, military construction at FE Warren AFB—are governed by federal rules.
The Harris Poll’s finding that both nonunion and union workers support best-value competition gives Wyoming contractors credible arguments when engaging their congressional delegation on immediate regulatory relief from PLA mandates.
ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter leverages national data, such as the Harris Poll, to strengthen advocacy for nonunion construction workers and for open competition. Primary targets include:
The contracting community benefits when the industry builds arguments combining hard data (76–98% nonunion share, 83%/73% best-value support) with member stories from real construction projects.
ABC Rocky Mountain’s flagship advocacy event brings contractors face-to-face with state lawmakers during Colorado’s legislative session. The 2026 edition will equip attendees with Harris Poll talking points emphasizing worker choice, job creation, and workforce development.
Morning briefings prepare participants; structured legislative meetings follow. A Northern Colorado contractor might use poll data when meeting a representative considering a PLA preference bill—shifting the conversation from ideology to data.
The ABC Rocky Mountain Colorado PAC supports candidates backing open competition and best-value procurement. The Harris Poll strengthens PAC credibility when explaining the political importance of nonunion construction workers in the Denver metro and statewide markets.
Members participate in ABC National’s Legislative Conference and fly-ins, using polling data to argue for rescinding PLA mandates. Even small PAC contributions and occasional meetings amplify the voice of nonunion workers in policy debates.
Many ABC Rocky Mountain members pursue federal construction projects across Colorado and Wyoming for USACE, NAVFAC, VA hospitals, and other federal owners. Federal agencies operate under heightened scrutiny on PLAs, making Harris Poll findings especially timely.
The poll provides contractors with a data-backed rationale for requesting that agencies avoid blanket PLA mandates and focus on safety performance, schedule reliability, and cost efficiency.
ABC Rocky Mountain delivers USACE Construction Quality Management (CQM) certification courses—often required credentials for supervisors on USACE projects. High CQM participation by nonunion workers demonstrates merit shop commitment to federal quality standards.
Associated Builders and Contractors invested approximately $1.6 billion in workforce development in 2022, with around 1.3 million course attendees participating in apprenticeships, craft training, and safety programs. Non-union workers build credential portfolios from trade schools, community colleges, manufacturer certifications, OSHA certifications, and employer-specific programs.
When ABC Rocky Mountain engages USACE district offices, the chapter cites both CQM participation and Harris Poll findings as evidence that qualified contractors using merit-shop construction employment deliver high-performing projects without PLAs.
Harris Poll data only has an impact if contractors actively use it. Here’s your checklist:
The 2026 midterms, combined with Colorado’s evolving labor climate and federal PLA debates, make the next 18 months critical for nonunion workers and merit shop contractors to assert their voice. Non-union employment allows for performance-based advancement and careers based on skills—that message deserves to be heard.
The May 6, 2026, Harris Poll specifically surveyed construction workers in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—not Colorado or Wyoming. However, ABC Rocky Mountain uses the poll because overall patterns (nonunion workers as the large majority, strong best-value support) align with regional workforce data. The chapter is exploring additional regional surveys to complement national findings.
Frame messaging around open competition, best-value procurement, and workforce opportunity rather than attacking union members. The Harris Poll shows strong agreement on best-value selection across both union and nonunion groups. Highlight your investment in safety, structured apprenticeships, and workforce development. OSHA standards apply equally to union and nonunion job sites, ensuring workplaces are free from recognized hazards.
Stay informed on ABC Rocky Mountain alerts to answer workers’ questions about PLAs and prevailing wage in factual terms. Attend Building/Design/Construction Day and briefings, bringing real project examples. Maintain key credentials (USACE CQM, OSHA 30, trade-specific licenses) to strengthen credibility. Under Section 7 of the NLRA, nonunion workers have rights to engage in protected concerted activity—understand these protections.
As Colorado’s regulatory environment tightens with PLA-preference language, there is an increasing risk that nonunion workers face barriers to certain state and local projects. Prevailing wage requirements themselves don’t exclude nonunion workers—merit shop contractors comply regularly. However, PLA mandates require operating under union rules to access work. ABC Rocky Mountain actively advocates at the Capitol to preserve open competition.
Nonunion construction workers are protected by federal laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Workers have the right to at least the federal minimum wage and overtime pay for hours over 40 hours a week. Nonunion workers are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for on-the-job injuries. Most positions are at-will employment, but attract talent through rapidly evolving technologies, training, and industry-driven multiskilling opportunities.
