Author: agcnews

Six-Step Priority List for Employers The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 13 blocked OSHA’s COVID vaccine-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS) from being enforced for the foreseeable future, meaning your compliance to-do list has gotten significantly shorter – but it has by no means disappeared. While the Court’s decision means you no longer have to follow the January 10 compliance deadlines, the uncertain status of the ETS has left many employers unsure about what to do now. This article will provide you a practical six-step priority list to guide you on your way during the days ahead. What Happened? Technically, the…

AGC to Continue with Litigation on the Merits of the ETS On January 13, the Supreme Court reinstated the nationwide stay on implementation and enforcement of the OSHA COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS). As a result of this decision, OSHA will have to suspend its ETS compliance efforts, many of which took effect on January 10. The case will now go back to the lower courts for litigation on the merits of the ETS. There, AGC of America will remain engaged via its Construction Advocacy Fund-backed lawsuit challenging the ETS. To support the Fund and other pro-construction industry efforts, click here.…

Encourages Prioritization of Review and Permitting Reform Regs, Discourages Limits on State Flexibility On January 6, AGC provided feedback to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on its initial guidance on implementation of the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). AGC strongly encouraged the agency to expediently implement environmental review and permitting reforms contained in the bill without creating new regulatory hurdles in the process. Additionally, AGC encouraged the agency to seek adequate industry input and allow for an extended transition period to new Buy America requirements on construction materials. AGC cautioned the agency that language contained in their guidance…

AGC recently joined a group of business and non-profit stakeholders to support bipartisan legislation—introduced by Reps. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.) and Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) to extend the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) through the fourth quarter of 2021. The ERTC fourth quarter credit was canceled because it was used to help pay for the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, formerly called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. AGC will work with the coalition to find senators to introduce companion legislation and explore legislative vehicles to pass an extension of ERTC in the first quarter of 2022. If you have any questions…

On Hold Until April, AGC Communicates with Agencies The federal contractor vaccine mandate remains on hold since the December 17, 2021, decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to maintain a nationwide stay (or freeze) of the mandate until—potentially—as late as April 2022. During the week of January 10, AGC had direct discussions with major construction federal agencies and key regulators. Guidance has been issued on ensuring federal compliance with court orders and injunctions, meaning that contractors should expect no federal action to enforce the contract clause implementing the requirement that federal contractors and subcontractors be…

Employers with 100 or More Employees Weigh Compliance Approaches As of January 13, the Supreme Court has not issued a decision on whether or not the Sixth Circuit was correct when it decided on December 17, 2021, to remove the nationwide stay (freeze) on implementation and enforcement of the OSHA COVID-19 vaccination-or-testing emergency temporary standard (ETS). The Court heard oral arguments on January 7 and can issue a decision on whether to reinstate the stay or not at any moment. Meanwhile, under OSHA compliance guidance, all of the ETS requirements—except the weekly testing requirement for the unvaccinated—took effect on…

Prices of construction materials jumped nearly 20 percent in 2021 despite moderating in December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said contractors rate materials costs as a top concern for 2022, according to a survey predicting the industry’s outlook for the industry the association released yesterday. “Costs may not rise as steeply in 2022 as they did last year but they are likely to remain volatile, with unpredictable prices and delivery dates for key materials,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “That volatility can be as hard to cope with as…

Construction Officials Say Biden Administration’s Plan to Double Tariffs on Canadian Lumber, Leave Other Ones in Place will Undermine Efforts to Address the Rapid Inflation in Key Materials Costs Prices of construction materials jumped nearly 20 percent in 2021 despite moderating in December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said contractors rate materials costs as a top concern for 2022, according to a survey predicting the industry’s outlook for the industry the association released yesterday. “Costs may not rise as steeply in 2022 as they did last year but they are likely…

New Industry Outlook Shows Contractors Expect a Boost from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill and Broad-Based Private-Sector Demand, Except for Retail and Office Construction, If They Can Find Workers and Materials Construction contractors expect increasing demand for numerous types of projects in 2022 despite ongoing supply chain and labor challenges, as most firms plan to add workers this year, according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage. The findings are detailed in Expecting Growth While Coping with the Lingering Impacts of the Pandemic: The 2022 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook. “Contractors are, overall, very optimistic…

Jobs Figures are Consistent with Relatively Optimistic Outlook the Association will Release on January 12 But Tight Labor Market is Making It Harder for Construction Businesses to Add Even More Staff Construction employment increased by 22,000 jobs between November and December as nonresidential construction firms added workers for the fourth month in a row while residential construction employment slipped, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said the new employment figures are consistent with the results of a new outlook survey they will be releasing on January 12. “Nonresidential…