Author: agcnews
On Monday, November 15, President Biden will sign the AGC-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), into law. This bill will become law after a determined effort by AGC and its members—sending nearly 100,000 messages to Congress—to push it over the top. As a reminder, AGC put together this summary and also this myth v. fact document. Additionally, a breakdown of what’s in the bill for each construction market can be found here: Highway Contractors; Utility Contractors; Direct Federal Contractors; Building Contractors; and Other Markets (Transit, Rail, Waterways, Airports). The IIJA is the most significant infusion of investment in our infrastructure since the…
On November 5, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officially published its long anticipated COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS). AGC and other construction industry allies are preparing to see OSHA in court to defend the industry’s interests. In the meantime, to help AGC members digest this 490-page ETS, the association compiled a construction industry-oriented summary found HERE. In addition, AGC held a webinar series covering the practical, contractual, and outside solutions AGC members may want to consider. For more information, please contact Kevin Cannon at kevin.cannon@agc.org or Nazia Shah at nazia.shah@agc.org.
The history of the consulting constructor and their impact on this country and around world stands as a testament to the valued and unparalleled expertise which individuals have brought to the construction community. The purpose of the Council is to recognize those in our industry who have made significant contributions to the quality and professionalism associated with commercial construction professionals. Many in the industry have risen to prominence from small companies, while still others made their way in some of this country’s largest construction businesses. Yet today, and despite their chosen paths, each maintains an emphasis on quality of deliverables…
Rising construction materials prices appear to be starting to drive up the price of construction projects, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials noted that despite a big jump in what contractors charge for projects, the rise in materials prices is still much higher. “After being battered by unprecedented price increases for many materials, contractors are finally passing along more of their costs,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Meanwhile, supply-chain bottlenecks and labor shortages continue to impede contractors’ ability to finish projects.” The producer price index for new nonresidential…
The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of the Bipartisan Infrastructure measure: “The reason the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passed in the House today is because a majority of Representatives understand that this measure will provide significant, tangible improvements to their lives of the constituents and the success of their local employers. That is because the bill provides the kind of funding needed to modernize the country’s aging and overburdened infrastructure. The legislation also maintains the policy of One…
The construction industry added 44,000 jobs between September and October as nonresidential construction firms posted back-to-back increases for the first time since January, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said the employment gains were welcome news but cautioned that employment levels remain well-below pre-pandemic totals as firms struggle with supply chain problems, labor shortages and federal inaction on infrastructure funding. “It is encouraging to see continuing job growth in nonresidential construction but the industry remains far behind the overall economy in recovering all of the job losses from…
The U.S. House of Representatives again failed to pass the AGC-supported $1.2T bipartisan (physical) infrastructure bill—formally called the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (click HERE for a construction industry overview and HERE for a “Myth vs. Fact” analysis of the bill)—as the federal-aid highway and transit construction programs were set to expire on Oct. 31. As a result, Congress passed an AGC-backed extension of the highway and transit programs until December 3. A handful of progressive House Democrats—empowered by House Republican Leadership’s opposition to the bipartisan infrastructure bill—derailed its passage in September and again in October because there was not final agreement among Democrats…
On November 4, the White House announced that the deadline for direct federal contractors to have their employees fully vaccinated under the federal contractor vaccine mandate will be same as the new OSHA ETS: January 4, 2022. Previously, the deadline for direct federal contractors was December 8, 2021. It is important to note that federal contractors will still see the contract clause mandating vaccination in federal solicitations, new contracts, etc., as none of the other dates relevant to federal contractors have changed. As of Nov. 4, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force website has not been updated to reflect the extended deadline. However, AGC expects…
Congressional Democrats continue to take things out and put new things into their AGC-opposed human infrastructure bill—formally titled the Build Back Better Act. But one thing remains consistent: labor provisions impacting the construction industry remain at the forefront of their agenda. The latest iteration of the bill includes numerous pro-unionizing provisions and preferences to unions through new labor enforcement and penalties. At the moment, provisions of note include: Finally, the proposal includes funding boosts for workforce, education and training programs to encourage reskilling and upskilling of workers. Programs seeing boosts include federal Career and Technical Education and funding to encourage apprenticeship programs…
On Nov. 4, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released its long anticipated COVID-19 vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard (ETS). As anticipated, the ETS requires all employers with 100 or more employees to either mandate vaccinations, or encourage vaccination or weekly testing of all employees. Those who remain unvaccinated must also wear a face covering at work. AGC will provide comments to this measure designed to fix its many flaws and continue to explore all other possible options to protect the construction industry from the many risks created by this measure. For AGC’s complete statement on the ETS release, click here. Among other…