Author: agcnews

The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently announced the launch of a far-reaching public awareness campaign to remind workers that the agency is committed to ensuring their workplace rights during the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure that employers know their responsibilities. These new announcements are WHD’s latest efforts to educate American workers and help employers provide the benefits and protections required by law as the coronavirus pandemic evolves. WHD has published extensive guidance for workers during this crisis, such as online videos, digital compliance assistance toolkits, and an ongoing invitation to make confidential calls to speak directly with trained…

Negotiators conducting collective bargaining between January and June of this year agreed to raise construction craft workers’ wage and fringe benefits by an average of 2.8 percent or $1.58 during the first contract year, according to the Construction Labor Research Council’s (CLRC) latest Settlements Report. This compares to 2.8 percent or $1.65 for the same period in 2019 and 2.9 percent or $1.67 for all of 2019. CLRC reports that the “sweet spot where settlements [reported during the first half of 2020] landed more than any other range was clearly $1.76–$2.00.” This range was higher than the full-year ranges in…

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the release today of the Administration’s final rule reforming the National Environmental Policy Act Permitting Process: “This updated review process will make it easier to rebuild aging infrastructure, attract private investment, support efforts to reinvigorate our economy and continue to provide strict protections for the environment. Given the broad, bipartisan support for improving infrastructure, these common-sense reforms should be widely embraced and supported. “Significantly, under the final rule, projects still undergo an environmental review with public input. The key…

The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently announced the launch of a far-reaching public awareness campaign to remind workers that the agency is committed to ensuring their workplace rights during the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure that employers know their responsibilities. WHD is using public service announcements in English and Spanish, on radio and television, to provide the workforce information about the new paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave benefits available under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and workplace rights in agriculture. The campaign will also feature short, plain-language educational videos, digital guides, stakeholder outreach,…

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today announced two six-month pilot programs that expand opportunities for parties to voluntarily resolve charges through mediation and increase the effectiveness of the conciliation process. Mediation Pilot Mediation is a voluntary, informal, and confidential way to resolve disputes with the help of a neutral mediator who is trained to help people discuss their differences. The EEOC’s ACT (Access, Categories, Time) Mediation pilot, which began on July 6, 2020, expands the categories of charges eligible for mediation and, generally, allows for mediation throughout an investigation. Currently, only certain categories of charges are referred to…

The United States Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently announced significant steps to streamline optional-use forms that workers can use to request and employers can use to coordinate leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). WHD also published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register seeking the public’s feedback on the law’s administration and use. WHD’s new forms are intended to be simpler and easier for employees, employers, leave administrators and healthcare providers to understand and use. Revised with substantial public input, the forms include more questions that users can answer by checking a response box and…

On July 8, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs began to consider funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The bill provides a total of $10.1 billion for military construction projects, roughly $1.5 billion below the FY 2020 enacted levels. The VA portion of the bill funded major and minor construction within the VA at $1.8 billion, an increase of $139 million above the FY 2020. This amount includes $1.4 billion for Major Construction and $400 million for Minor Construction. House Democratic leadership has stated that it wants all twelve funding bills to be passed by the end…

On July 8, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) passed legislation to fund related programs for fiscal year (FY) 2021. If enacted, this measure would provide significantly increased funding for surface transportation programs consistent with levels offered in the recent House passed INVEST in America Act. In addition, the bill would provide funding for economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, including an additional $3 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program and $3 billion for grant and facility upgrade programs through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This measure will now…

Chris has worked in the construction industry for over 25 years in various marketing, business development and public relations positions. In 2008, Chris founded Atlas Marketing to tell stories for people who build things.  The agency, based in Pittsburgh, specializes in marketing, social media, digital development, crisis communications, public relations and marketing strategy.  Since inception, the agency has worked hard to simplify the complex stories of labor organizations, government agencies, general contractors, specialty contractors and statewide industry associations. In addition to being a member of the AGC BD Forum, Chris is co-host of the Building PA Podcast, a podcast that showcases the construction industry…

Twice a year the Administration updates its Unified Agenda with projected timelines for rulemakings and other actions. The spring agenda, released June 30, 2020, shows some delay in movement on key water programs that AGC has been tracking due to their relevance to the construction industry. AGC summarizes these developments below. Army Corps of Engineers Council on Environmental Quality Environmental Protection Agency Although not on the spring agenda, U.S. EPA is working on reissuance of the Multi-Sector General Permit for stormwater discharges from industrial activities—completion expected for 2020. U.S. EPA also will begin the process for reissuing its Construction General…