Associated Builders & Contractors of Texas Gulf Coast, Inc. v. United States Department of Energy
This case concerns a request for a preliminary injunction filed by Gulf States, Inc., an electrical contractor, and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas Gulf Coast, Inc. against the Executive Branch of the federal government. The plaintiffs sought to prevent the Department of Energy (DOE) from proceeding with bids on the Bryan Mound Project until they could exercise their right to an administrative appeal of a revised wage determination issued by the Department of Labor. The court found that the initial wage determination was 'seriously and manifestly erroneous' and that the plaintiffs had been denied procedural due process because the government failed to adhere to its own regulations regarding administrative appeals. Citing the Accardi doctrine, the court emphasized that agencies must scrupulously observe their established rules. The court granted the preliminary injunction, affirming the plaintiffs' constitutional right to due process and ensuring their opportunity to perfect an administrative appeal before the Wage Appeals Board.