Author: Crystal Yates

Construction workforce challenges continue to evolve, making it more important than ever for HR, workforce development, training, and talent professionals to stay ahead of the curve. Join your peers at AGC’s Construction Workforce & HR Conference to explore practical solutions, exchange ideas, and build valuable industry connections. This year’s program features keynote speaker Kathy Dempsey, presenting “SHED® or You’re Dead: How to Stay Alive, Thrive and Navigate the Future” and “SHED® HAPPENS! Your Practical Toolkit for Navigating Change,” along with a full agenda of sessions focused on recruiting, retaining, and developing the construction workforce. If you have not registered yet,…

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has updated its official El Salvador Temporary Protected Status (TPS) webpage to state: “An announcement on El Salvador’s TPS will be made at the appropriate time. Until such announcement is made, Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection including work authorization.” This confirms that existing Salvadoran TPS beneficiaries remain protected and employment-authorized while DHS considers its next action. The earlier USCIS/E-Verify alert issued on September 3, 2026 – which stated that El Salvador TPS was set to terminate on September 9, 2026 – has, therefore,…

AGC has joined a broad coalition of employer, business, health care, and benefits organizations in urging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to finalize a proposed rule allowing default electronic delivery of group health plan disclosures and to extend that approach to all group health plan communications under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The coalition’s September 21 comment letter argues that updating decades-old paper disclosure requirements would improve access to benefits information while reducing unnecessary administrative costs. The groups also encouraged DOL to extend the default e-delivery approach to all ERISA-covered welfare plans in its final…

On September 10, AGC of America and other business groups coordinated by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace filed an amicus brief with the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) supporting Amazon’s challenge to the Board’s controversial Cemex union-recognition framework. As AGC previously reported, the Cemex framework has significant implications for employers facing union demands for voluntary recognition under Section 9(a) of the National Labor Relations Act (“NLRA”). The NLRB issued its controversial Cemex decision in 2023, expanding the responsibilities of employers confronted with union recognition demands and the circumstances in which the Board may issue bargaining orders. The…

The H-2B Workforce Coalition, which AGC is a member of, is urging the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor to promptly release supplemental H-2B visas for fiscal year 2027. In a September 22 letter to DHS and DOL, the coalition noted that the first half of the annual H-2B visa cap was reached on September 4. It requested the agencies make available 64,716 supplemental visas, consistent with actions they took last year, to help employers address labor needs and provide greater certainty for workforce planning. The letter emphasized that H-2B employers continue to recruit U.S. workers but often…

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released a video featuring Chair Andrea Lucas encouraging workers who believe they have experienced discrimination because they are American to file a charge with the agency. The video highlights examples such as alleged preferences for visa holders or foreign workers, exclusion from workplace communications because employees speak English, and hiring or promotion decisions based on national origin. The video reinforces the EEOC’s ongoing focus on national origin discrimination enforcement. In November 2025, the agency issued Discrimination Against American Workers Is Against The Law, a technical assistance document reminding employers that Title VII’s…

In a deliberative move, the Trump Administration issued a supplemental proposed rule on concepts central to the definition of water of the United States (WOTUS). A federal permit is needed on projects in or near a WOTUS in addition to state and local permits. However, that definition has changed significantly over recent decades and has caused uncertainty for infrastructure projects. Noncompliance can result in hefty fines and even jail time. EPA intends the supplemental to better inform the final rule and lead to more stability for project proponents and the regulated community. Specifically, EPA seeks feedback on the definitions for:…

In late July, AGC of America’s Environmental Committee members met with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to discuss liability and request tools to help contractors manage any of the “forever chemicals” they encounter on projects. AGC members shared how EPA’s earlier designation of two PFAS as hazardous substances has increased costs, risk, and liability for contractors without a path to compliance. In order to mitigate these risks, contractors need EPA to provide guidance on managing and handling potentially impacted materials, such as— AGC members also participated in Hill visits with key congressional committees…

Join us in Phoenix, AZ, October 21–23, 2026 for the AGC Workforce & HR Conference, the premier gathering for HR, training, and workforce development leaders in construction. This year’s agenda will tackle some of the most pressing workforce challenges facing the industry through sessions on: Alongside these critical topics for recruitment, retention, and leadership development, you will be able to connect with peers from across the country through networking opportunities and facilitated conversation led by industry leaders. Register by September 5 to lock in current rates before prices increase, and don’t forget to book your hotel by September 29! For…

Federal officials just finalized three separate rules that impact the affirmative action compliance obligations and reporting requirements that federal contractors have followed for decades. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) initially proposed these rules last summer and published final versions of them in the Federal Register on August 21. Together they will impact nearly every federal contractor and subcontractor in the country – an estimated 118,000 businesses employing roughly one-fifth of the U.S. workforce. One sweeping rule wipes out an entire regulatory framework, another strips out data collection obligations, and the third is mostly a legal clean-up job. Here’s what…