Author: agcnews

Staying abreast of the latest developments and trends in construction law is one of the best ways to mitigate your construction company’s risk. Knowledge at your fingertips is power. ConsensusDocs publishes a monthly construction law newsletter that is one of the best resources to stay on top of your game. Sign up for free here. ConsensusDocs recently announced, in its end-of-the-year construction law newsletter wrap-up, that the construction law article that garnered the greatest attention was Negotiating Material Escalation Clauses written by Jeanne M. Harrison of the law firm Smith Currie & Hancock LLP. It isn’t surprising that price escalation shot to the top of the charts for 2021,…

As previously reported by AGC, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes new Buy America requirements, that could delay infrastructure projects funded by the law. The IIJA provides funding for physical infrastructure like roads, water systems, the electric grid, and more. The new and expanded Buy America requirements apply to all federally funded programs and include manufactured products, like iron and steel, and also construction materials used on projects within those programs. Federal agencies have voiced concern over whether project sponsors will be able to complete projects with these requirements as they stand and are working with AGC and other industry stakeholders…

Accepts Many AGC Recommendations On January 27, the Department of the Treasury finalized its rule for distributing $350 billion to state, local and territorial governments. These recovery funds originated from President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law, American Rescue Plan Act. AGC’s regulatory comments urged Treasury to include: 1) Expanded eligibility for infrastructure investments and related revenue streams; 2) clarification of rules and reporting requirements; and 3) increased flexibility. The final rule expands state, local, and tribal governments’ ability to use funds for capital investments and provides for more flexibility in calculating revenue loss. However, Treasury kept many construction labor-related reporting requirements for projects utilizing the funds…

On January 24, AGC, along with other transportation stakeholders, called on congressional leaders to enact a full-year fiscal year 2022 federal government funding bill that will finance all new and increased programs infrastructure investment accounts from the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In December, Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through February 18. That extension of existing funding did not include appropriation of funds for many new programs in the November passed infrastructure bill. Specifically, without a new, full-year appropriations bill, states and local governments and agencies will not be able to access the bill’s roughly…

Victory for Construction Advocacy Fund-Financed AGC Lawsuit On January 25, OSHA revoked its COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) applicable to private businesses with 100 or more employees in light of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. This is a clear legal victory for AGC of America and its Construction Advocacy Fund-financed lawsuit challenging the ETS. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with AGC’s argument, among others, that OSHA overreached and exceeded its authority under the law. Although this lawsuit against OSHA is over, AGC of America continues to press forward in another Construction Advocacy Fund-financed lawsuit against the federal contractor vaccine…

AGC releases full report from its first-ever workforce summit which includes a lengthy catalog of steps firms, educators and AGC of America chapters are taking to address workforce shortages. It also includes 22 new recommendations summit participants crafted, to help overcome the recruiting, training and retention challenges behind construction workforce shortages. To learn more about the report and the 22 new recommendations, please register for the February 15 webinar on this topic. Click here to register for that event now.

New York, Louisiana Have Worst Losses Since February 2020, While Utah, South Dakota Top Gainers, Florida, Alabama, Rhode Island Have Worst One-Month Losses, While Texas, West Virginia Lead in December Construction employment in December remained below levels reached just before the start of the pandemic in more than half the states despite widespread gains last month, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said employment hasn’t recovered fully because most firms report difficulty finding workers, according to the association’s recent survey predicting the industry’s hiring and business outlook. “Even though employment has…

New York, Louisiana Have Worst Losses Between December & February 2020, While Utah, South Dakota Top Gainers; Florida, Alabama, Rhode Island Have Worst One-Month Losses & Texas, West Virginia Have Best Gains Construction employment in December remained below levels reached just before the start of the pandemic in more than half the states as firms struggled to find enough workers to hire, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. But the Biden Administration’s decision today to withdraw its emergency vaccine mandate for firms that employ 100 or more people will help…

Jeff Christianson is a graduate of Washington State University with a BS in Construction Management and holds a MS in Civil Engineering degree from University of Maryland. He joined Exxel Pacific, Inc. in 2003 and is currently a Senior Superintendent overseeing multiple projects in the greater Seattle area. Jeff is a LEED AP BD+C, a Certified Professional Constructor (CPC), and a PHIUS Certified Builder. He has served on the AGC of Washington CLC Steering Committee and is currently the incoming Vice-Chair of the AGC of America CLC. Additionally, Jeff was named the 2019 AGC of Washington Superintendent of the Year…

According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction support staff wages are to rise by an average 3.6%. The prediction is based on data gathered from over 199 companies in the 18th edition of PAS’s Construction Support Staff Salary Survey. This is lower than the actual increase of 3.8% for 2020, but at the moment, PAS expects actual year-end 2021 to come in higher than the 3.6% reported in the survey and 2022 even a little higher. Demand for all employee levels continues, including those who support contractors’ operations and financial professionals.  Additionally, according to PAS’s 2021…