The Associated Builders and Contractors have given its support to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the GOP presidential primary. 

The Associated Builders and Contractors have given its support to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in his effort to be the 2012 Republican presidential candidate.

“The election of Mitt Romney as president is a top priority for the commercial and industrial construction industry and the millions of Americans it employs,” said 2012 ABC national Chairman Eric Regelin, president of Granix LLC in Ellicott City, Md. “He has articulated a clear position on issues important to ABC members, including opposing federally mandated project-labor agreements, returning the National Labor Relations Board to a neutral arbiter of labor disputes and supporting the free-market, merit shop philosophy.”

During a speech before the association, Romney said he will work to reduce the “unfair advantage” union-represented construction firms have in securing work government work.

“If I become president of the United States I will curb the practice we have in this country of giving union bosses an unfair advantage in contracting," he said. "One of the first things I will do - actually on day one - is I will end the government’s favoritism towards unions in contracting on federal projects and end project-labor agreements.

“I also will make sure that workers in America have the right to a secret ballot and I will fight for right-to-work laws,” Romney added.

The Associated Builders and Contractors oppose mandatory union membership and laws that require union-level wages on government-funded projects. It generally supports Republican candidates and issues.