Author: agcnews

As of July 23, Senate Republicans and the White House continue to negotiate agreement on the details of a new, $1 trillion coronavirus (COVID-19) relief bill. AGC recently called on members of both parties to include in any final relief bill dedicated infrastructure investment, financial resources for construction employers and employees, reasonable liability protections from COVID-19-related lawsuits, policies that promote workforce re-entry, education and training, and ensure the viability of multiemployer pension plans. House Democrats passed their $3 trillion bill on May 15, for which you can find AGC’s positions and details on that legislation by clicking here. As it stands, Senate Republicans…

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released additional guidance to provide information to workers and employers about how the requirements and protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) that impact the workplace as they continue to reopen. The new guidance provides plain-language questions and answers addressing critical issues related to COVID-19 based scenarios under all three laws. Of particular interest are: WHD provides additional information on common issues employers and employees face when responding to the coronavirus and its effects on wages and hours worked under…

President Donald Trump and the Council on Environmental Quality announced a final rule July 15 to “comprehensively update and substantially revise” the regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). AGC responded in support of the NEPA updates that will reduce the cost, complexity and time spent on federal environmental reviews and related litigation – making it easier for businesses and communities to plan, finance and build projects. In a multi-year advocacy and outreach campaign – including a 34-page white paper, environmental permitting flowchart, several congressional statements, and extensive comment letters to CEQ – AGC explained why the NEPA regulations, which apply to all federal agencies, have…

On July 10, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council released the draft Interim Final Rule (IFR) to implement section 889(a)(I)(B) of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The rule, often referred to as “Section 889 Part B,” prohibits federal agencies from entering into, extending, or renewing, a contract with a contractor that uses any equipment, system, or service, using certain Chinese companies’ telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system beginning August 13, 2020 – unless an exception applies or a waiver is granted. AGC has communicated the difficulty many…

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…