I recently authored an article for Connector, the official magazine of the Steel Erectors Association of America, outlining the types of government contracts and workers impacted by Executive Order 14026 (EO 14026) that increased the minimum hourly wage for certain federal contractors from $10.50 to $15.00. This increase went into effect on January 30, 2022 and is intended to promote “the government’s procurement interests in economy and efficiency by contracting with sources that ‘adequately’ compensate their workers.”

While several lawsuits have been filed challenging EO 14026’s implementation, I cautioned, “Until these and any subsequent legal challenges are fully resolved, to avoid any potential penalties contractors must comply to the extent that they are subject to this new contractual minimum wage requirement.”

The full article, “Increased Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors: Impact on Steel Erectors,” was published in the Fall 2022 issue of Connector and is available online.