Author: agcnews

Bipartisan Measure Includes Many of Former President Trump’s Infrastructure, Regulatory and Labor Priorities; Republicans Risk Wasting a Chance to Get them Enacted, Construction Officials Warn The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to the announcement today that the House Republican leadership will encourage its party members to vote against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill: “The House Republican leadership’s unfortunate decision to encourage its members to vote against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill puts at risk legislation that President Trump would have proudly signed when he was in office. This…

Massman Construction Co. Wins Associated General Contractors of America’s Construction Risk Partners Build America Grand Award as Well as Top Prizes for the Design-Build Civil and a Merit Award for Partnering Excellence ORLANDO – Louisiana, Mo.’s Champ Clark Mississippi River Bridge replacement was the most significant construction project of 2020, the Associated General Contractors of America announced today. As a result, the project’s contractor, Massman Construction Co., received the association’s Construction Risk Partners Build America Grand Award, as well as the award for the best design-build civil and a Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence Merit award. “These awards are a much-deserved tip of the hat to exceptional construction projects from the past year and the outstanding firms that completed them,” said Bob Lanham, the association’s president and president of Williams Brothers Construction Co., Inc. in Houston, Texas.  “The award recipients have demonstrated skill, vision and…

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board) must reconsider its newest ruling on the rights of certain employees to access private property to engage in activity on behalf of a union, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit directed in an August 31, 2021, decision in NLRB v. Local 23, American Federation of Musicians. If the Board changes its holding on remand, it will be the third time the policy on access to private property has changed in the last 10 years. This case comes to the NLRB at a time opportune for change. The court…

On Sept. 13, House Democrats released legislative text detailing significant tax increases to pay for their upwards of $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill. Those tax increases include but are not limited to: (1) increasing the top rate to 26.5% from 21% for corporations with incomes of $5 million; (2) creating a new 3% surtax on individuals/pass-through businesses with modified adjusted gross income exceeding $5 million; (3) increasing the top tax rate for pass-through businesses to 46.4 percent (39.6 percent top individual tax bracket + 3.8 percent net investment income tax (NIIT) + 3 percent surtax); (4) increasing the top capital gains…

The Administration released general details of President Biden’s COVID-19 Action Plan and two Executive Orders that will require all federal employees and federal contractors and subcontractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Executive Order impacting federal contractors requires the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force provide further guidance and a draft contract clause by September 24th. The Federal Acquisition Regulation will be amended to include these requirements in a contract clause in federal solicitations and contracts. Direct federal contracts can expect this new contract clause to appear in all covered federal contracts, extensions, and renewals by October 15th. The E.O. essentially requires all direct federal contractor and subcontractors…

On July 9, President Biden unveiled his Path Out of the Pandemic Plan, which implements a six-pronged national strategy to combat the surge of the Delta variant. One of the key aspects of the plan is a requirement that OSHA issue an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS)—reportedly within a matter of weeks—that will require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any workers who remain unvaccinated to produce a negative test result on at least a weekly basis before coming to work. While there are few details to make a completely informed decision…

Click HERE to find a new AGC COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit that you can share with your staff, trade contractors, subcontractors, and partners. AGC has gathered information on COVID-19 vaccines, their safety and their effectiveness that members can use in their education efforts; created an industry-specific public service message urging the industry to get vaccinated; and provided resources to assist with employer vaccine policies. As we learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccine-related policies, including mandates, AGC will update the webpage.

A New Billboard on I-376 Highlights the Congressman’s Vote Earlier this Year for a House Transportation Bill That Severely Limits States’ Ability to Add New Highway Capacity The Associated General Contractors of America is installing a new billboard in the Pittsburgh area to call out Congressman Conor Lamb for voting to keep his constituents stuck in highway traffic. The billboard, which is located along one of the most congested commuter corridors in the Congressman’s district, includes a link for commuters to learn more about the Congressman’s vote. “We want commuters to understand that Congressman Lamb is voting to limit Pennsylvania’s…

Construction Officials Call for Immediate Removal of Tariffs on Key Construction Materials, Urge Congress and the Administration to Take Steps to Repair “Every Level” of the Supply Chain The prices contractors pay for construction materials continued to increase in August while many firms report struggles to get those materials delivered on time, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials urged Washington officials to take steps to help address the challenges impacting the entire supply chain and driving the price escalations. “July was the seventh-straight month of double-digit price increases for construction…

All Employers 100+ Must Ensure Vaccinated or Tested Weekly On September 9, President Biden announced a new plan to require all federal employees and federal contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Additionally, the plan will also require all employers with 100 or more employees to ensure their workforces are vaccinated or require weekly testing. The new plan is a significant shift from the Administration’s previous policy announced in July that required only federal employees and “onsite contractors” to be required to attest to being vaccinated or to be subject to protective measures, such as wearing a mask and regular testing. Fundamental questions remain unanswered,…