Author: agcnews

AGC of America has been working tirelessly to provide members with valuable, relevant resources during the coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergency. Among the many resources, AGC held three webinars on labor and human resource matters (access is free but registration is required): These webinars and numerous other resources are found on AGC’s coronavirus (COVID-19) web page. Resources are organized by topic (e.g., Labor, HR & Paid Leave Impacts; Safety, Health & Environmental Resources; Federal Work) and by resource type (e.g., Webinar Information; AGC Surveys). All member contacts with profiles on AGC.org are also receiving daily email updates on the associations advocacy and information efforts.

Weeks Marine, a contractor accused of Davis-Bacon violations, has finally prevailed in protracted litigation over its responsibility to reimburse workers for their actual lodging expenses. The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Administrative Review Board (ARB) has ruled that the lodging primarily benefited the employees. The case involved members of Operating Engineers Local 25, which represents underwater excavation workers from Maine through Florida and expects members to travel throughout the area for projects taking an average of three to six months to complete. Weeks Marine hired Local 25 members under its collective bargaining agreement with the union to work on a federal dredging…

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) has issued a final rule amending union representation-case procedures. The rule was published in the Federal Register on April 1, 2020. The effective date was originally set for June 1, 2020, but has been postponed to July 31, 2020, due to the national emergency caused by the coronavirus. The final rule, which is largely the same as the proposed rule issued in August 2019, modifies three policies. Two of those policies apply to employers across private industries, and one exclusively applies to employers in the construction industry. The first change that applies to all…

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently added a number of new “Questions and Answers” to provide information to employers about meeting their requirements to offer emergency paid sick leave and paid family medical leave offered by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The new Q&A’s further address critical questions, such as how to count hours for employees with irregular hours; how to compute average regular rate; how employers can require usage of existing leave; implications of stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders; and future enforcement implications. Additionally, on April 17th, DOL officially announced the end of…

OFCCP recently announced three new directives to help maximize the effectiveness of compliance assistance resources, increase accountability, and resolve federal contractor compliance evaluations more efficiently. The new directives include: OFCCP is committed to providing proactive, meaningful compliance assistance to help contractors understand and meet their equal employment opportunity obligations. OFCCP hopes the release of these new directives and initiatives will further this aim and serve as a useful tool for federal contractors. For more information, contact Claiborne Guy at claiborne.guy@agc.org or 703-837-5382.

Culture of CARE is challenging leaders to take a bold and visible step towards ensuring their workplaces are welcoming, safe and inclusive for an increasingly diverse and talented pool of workers by taking the Culture of CARE pledge. Once you sign the pledge, Culture of CARE provides companies with tools and resources to help establish a Culture of CARE in their workplaces. Learn more at www.BuildCulture.org. The companies who commit to a Culture of CARE aren’t passively thinking about their company culture. They are actively working to ensure that every employee – from the CEO to the laborer – has the opportunity to feel valued, respected and heard. Companies who commit to a Culture of CARE believe that everyone has the right to a…

In this episode, AGC explains key changes in Version 3.0 of the feds guidance for identifying the “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce,” which state/local governments may use to decide what construction activities may continue during the pandemic. Recognizing that many firms are struggling to retain their crews, we update you on the federal Paycheck Protection Program that ran out of funding last week, and what relief small business contractors can expect in the near term. Also this week, Congress is expected to release a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) reauthorization bill; listen as AGC shares its top priorities and key polices…

Construction employment declined in 20 states and D.C. in March, aligning with the results of a recent survey by the Associated General Contractors of America that found growing layoffs amid new project cancellations and state funding constraints. Association officials warned that these cancellations mean massive job losses are likely to occur soon in even more states unless Congress helps cover rapidly declining state revenues, adds funding for Paycheck Protection Program loans and takes other measures to help the industry recover. “While construction employment declined in many parts of the country last month, far more states, local governments and project owners have halted…

Today, our host Leah Pilconis talks with Cory Gattie about how AGC of America is making infrastructure a key part of our economic recovery suggestions as we work with Congress and the Trump administration to rebuild the economy. Leah also talks with AGC’s Brynn Huneke about how the association’s new Culture of CARE program can help firms and workers as they cope with the challenges of COVID-19. Learn more about our Culture of CARE at www.buildculture.org.

The harsh reality is that 30 years of work can be destroyed in 30 seconds. It’s difficult enough to plan for things that are happening, much less the things that might happen. But statistics show your company will, at some point, face a crisis situation of some type. Preparation is key to ensuring a professional and prompt response for your workers, customers/clients and the public. On this episode, Anthony Huey, president of Reputation Management and creator of CrisisDriver, shares communication tips, techniques and tools that any construction firm can use before, during and after any unfortunate incident to protect their…