Author: agcnews

Supported by: HCSS Construction employment increased in 329 out of 358 metro areas between April and May as a new survey finds that two-thirds of highway construction firms had at least one crash in the past year at highway work zones they operate. Officials with the Associated General Contractors of America and HCSS, which conducted the survey, urged drivers to slow down and be aware while driving through highway work zones during their summer travels. “As industry employment increases, it is safe to assume that more people are working in highway work zones that are typically close to moving traffic,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s…

Together, AGC of America and its Maryland Chapter have plugged a potential loophole in standard contract provisions intended to preclude costly litigation over the damage that a project suffers during the course of construction. The association’s victory in Maryland’s highest court means the standard provisions will continue to have their intended effect, precluding litigation over property damage that builder’s risk insurance will cover. The provisions are the mutual release and a waiver of subrogation found in many construction contracts. The parties to a construction project use such provisions to preclude the other parties to the same project from suing them…

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently issued a Field Assistance Bulletin addressing paid sick or expanded family and medical leave eligibility under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Specifically, Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-4 provides guidance on when an employee qualifies to take paid leave under the FFCRA to care for his or her child based on the closure of a summer camp, summer enrichment program or other summer program for coronavirus-related reasons. Field Assistance Bulletins provide Wage and Hour Division (WHD) investigators and staff with guidance on enforcement positions and clarification of policies or changes in policy of…

A team of Construction Leadership Council volunteers participated in the latest CLC Community Service event at Harvesters’ regional food bank in Kansas City. During their 4 to 6 p.m. shift on February 27, they processed 520 boxes of food for elderly citizens in need. A shout-out to Emilia Rivera, CLC Community Service Chair and Director of Culture and Training, E&K of Kansas City, Inc., for organizing the event.

Our country is in desperate need of significant infrastructure investments. Tell Congress and President Trump to advance the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill! The Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2) provides resources to build roads and bridges, public transit, airports, schools, hospitals, affordable housing, water infrastructure, locks, dams, levees and more. With 1,187,000 construction workers unemployed, and an increasing number of construction firms reporting cancelled or delayed projects, our elected leaders must act now to protect existing — and create new — construction jobs! In this episode, AGC’s VP of Gov’t Relations Jimmy Christianson lays out how the proposed House infrastructure package…

The COVID-19 crisis portends a new and troubling outlook for union construction contractors participating in multiemployer pension plans. While many multiemployer pension plans had been recovering enough from the 2007–2009 Great Recession to have their current funding levels approach or exceed their pre-Great Recession funding levels, the COVID-19 crisis threatens those recoveries and the solvency of the most financially troubled plans. While AGC of America continues to actively advocate for legislative reforms to help, proactive employers participating in multiemployer plans should anticipate how plans’ potential financial downturn will affect their finances and the retirement benefits of their unionized employees and…

The Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) is in effect as of June 22, 2020. AGC has advocated every step of the way in this multi-year effort and supports the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ new rule. The rule appropriately distinguishes between federal and state waters and should bring greater clarity in the field. AGC provided a summary of the rule when the agencies finalized it in January of this year. The rule already has several legal challenges in the queue and is on hold in one state. As per a ruling on June 19, 2020, a district…

Two recent immigration policy changes highlight the need for Congress to enact permanent immigration reform. First, on June 18, the Supreme Court ruled that recipients under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) can continue to legally work in the country. The decision was the result of recent Trump Administration actions that attempted to roll back the 2012 DACA program. While the decision allows an estimated 80,000 DACA recipients working in the construction industry to continue to do so, the decision presents an opportunity for the Trump administration to continue pursuing an end to the program. It remains important for Congress to…

The Senate Armed Services Committee released its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2021 (NDAA). The defense bill authorizes $8.15 billion for military construction, $955 million provides for previously unfunded military construction requirements, and focuses on the facility sustainment backlog. The Senate NDAA also prohibits Department of Defense (DOD) from conducting additional base realignments and closures in fiscal year 2021. Some notable provisions in the FY2021 NDAA that are important to AGC members include: AGC will continue to monitor and advocate policy reforms in the NDAA as it works its way through the Senate and House of Representatives. For…

After testifying before the Senate Small Business Committee that information about Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans would remain “confidential,” Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin announced on Friday, June 19, that loan information for recipients of PPP loans in excess of $150,000 would be publicly disclosed. To address concerns from businesses about disclosing payroll data, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury said loan information—including business names, addresses, NAICS codes, zip codes, business types, demographic data, non-profit information, and jobs supported—would be released in a range, rather than specific loan amounts. The ranges are: $150,000 – $350,000 $350,000 – $1 million…