Author: agcnews

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,…

Includes AGC-Opposed PRO Act Provisions and More On September 8, House Democrats released legislative text detailing their labor priorities under consideration for inclusion in a $3.5 trillion human infrastructure bill. Included in that legislative text are AGC-opposed PRO Act provisions such as holding officers and directors personally liable for unfair labor violations, imposing civil fines up to as much as $100,000 for certain violations, and adding employer prohibitions on replacing striking workers, certain lockouts, and class action arbitration agreements. The legislative text also puts forth provisions increasing funding for federal enforcement agencies (such as the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health…

On September 9, the House Committee on Ways and Means, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, began consideration of its share of President Biden’s American Families Plan. The final price tag of the overall legislation is still being negotiated by the House and Senate, as moderate Democrats, such as Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, are seeking to scale back the size and scope of the legislation. This will have significant bearing on how large the overall package of tax increases will be that the Ways and Means Committee will consider. Currently, the Committee is scheduled to release their draft proposal of…

Association Officials Urge Congress to Finish Work on Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to Boost Demand for Nonresidential Construction and Fund Career and Technical Education Programs to Add to Worker Supply The construction industry lost 3,000 jobs between July and August as ongoing declines in nonresidential segments offset a pickup among residential building and remodeling firms, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said their newly released survey shows many contractors are eager to hire but are encountering a lack of qualified applicants and supply-chain delays that are holding back nonresidential employment gains.…

Every State will See Benefits from this Historic Level of Investment This week the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a state-by-state survey of the benefits of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The complete survey can be found here. The White House also released state fact sheets outlining the needs and funding each state would receive. AGC also put together these summaries by market: Highway Contractors, Utility Contractors, Direct Federal Contractors, and Other Transportation Contractors. The IIJA already passed the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support on August 10 and is awaiting a vote before the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.) Joins AGC for Tour On August 26, AGC, working with Gilbane Construction and the Prince George County School System in Maryland, led Rep. Anthony Brown (D-Md.) on a tour of the Walker Hill Middle School construction project. The project, which is part of a $1.2 billion public private partnership to design, build, operate, and maintain six schools for Prince George County, provided AGC with an opportunity to talk to Rep. Brown about the potential benefits of this type of project delivery and federal legislation that would provide additional financial tools for such projects. AGC discussed legislation, introduced…