Author: Crystal Yates
On April 18, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rescinded the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) greenhouse gas performance measure rule. This rule would have forced states to spend their federal-aid highway funds, meant for road and bridge construction, to pay for more buses, Amtrak trains, and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations (i.e., non-construction activities). AGC fought back on this rule in all branches of government: In Congress: In the Executive Branch: In the Courtroom: Thank you for all of your help with sending in action alerts and for your contributions to the Construction Advocacy Fund which made AGC’s advocacy on this issue…
Survey Closes COB April 25 AGC of America is seeking member input to aid in its consideration of a new member benefit offering. The association is considering partnering with an outside group to offer a workforce citizenship service. The service would provide: The program is expected to provide the following advantages to participating companies: To help AGC gauge member interest and to consider impacts upon member workforces, please take this short, anonymous survey by end of the day on Friday, April 25.
According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction executive staff wage increases came in at 5.2% for 2024 and are also projected to rise by an average 4.4% by 2025 year-end. The actual 2024 increase compared to the 2024 projected increase was .5% higher, so it is possible we will see this same trend in 2025. For comparison, WorldatWork is projecting a 3.8% average increase for all executives in 2025. PAS also just finished the 2025 Construction/Construction Management Staff Salary Survey which indicated a 2024 actual pay increase of 4.6% and an overall projected increase of 4.1%…
The all-new Tenth Edition of AGC’s Supervisory Training Program (STP) is now available! Join AGC of America for a free webinar about it on Wednesday, May 21, at 1:00 p.m. EDT. STP is a training curriculum custom-designed for construction supervisors. It aims to enhance their skills in areas like leadership, communication, planning, and risk management, ultimately improving jobsite productivity and a company’s bottom line. Key points about the new STP to be covered in the webinar: Register for the webinar today to learn more!
The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) has released its annual report on Union Labor Costs in Construction. The report is useful for understanding current trends in collectively bargained compensation for union craft workers in the construction industry, providing data analyses by region and trade. It can be a valuable resource when preparing for collective bargaining negotiations, particularly when used in conjunction with CLRC’s latest Settlements Report. The report shows 71 percent of the total package rates paid in 2022 fell in the $45.01–$75.00 range, predictably, in 2022 there was a higher percentage of total package rates in the upper end of the…
AGC of America has released a new resource to assist the growing number of AGC members facing owner requirements and preferences for project labor agreements (PLAs). The association unveiled the Annotated Template Project Labor Agreement on April 10 at an educational session on PLAs during its Annual Convention in Columbus, OH. The annotated template provides sample PLA clauses and commentary that contractors may find useful for reference and a starting point for negotiations, explained Denise Gold, AGC’s Vice President for Corporate & Labor Legal Affairs, at the session. It is not presented as a model or standard agreement, as “no…
Given the complexity of the process, especially during a change in administration, AGC offers a series of information on the executive branch and its primary functions. Members should understand that deregulatory changes only take effect after executive orders are backed by regulatory action, a process that usually takes 12-18 months.* Executive Orders One of the ways a president changes policy is by signing executive orders. Executive orders are directives from the president that instruct executive agencies and direct the operations of the federal government. They are not laws. They are not regulations. It’s a boss telling his employees how he wants to see things done. For those of…
When complex construction disputes arise, securing financial recovery is just as critical as proving the other party’s liability. Read the latest posting on AGC’s Reports & Hot Topic Papers page, A Deep Dive into Damages: Show Me the Money!, written by attorney Gregory Chertoff at Peckar & Abramson, that explores the essential principles contractors and construction managers must understand to document and prove entitlement to and quantum of damages effectively. The paper emphasizes the importance of real-time recordkeeping, strategic contract negotiations, and understanding legal burdens of proof. It also highlights key damage categories and examines how courts distinguish between direct and…
On March 14, Pres. Trump revoked Executive Order 14026, Increasing the Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors (EO). Government contractors in the service and construction sectors should evaluate how Pres. Trump’s decision to cancel the EO will impact their pricing strategies and outstanding price adjustment requests. Effective immediately, contractors are no longer bound by EO 14026’s minimum wage requirements. This means that most service and construction contractors may revert employee pay to the applicable wage determination rates under their contracts. EO 14026, which until March 14 applied to contracts covered by the Service Contract Act and the Davis-Bacon Act, raised minimum wages…
On March 14, 2025, Pres. Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14236 titled “Additional Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” that rescinds 18 Biden executive actions—including the following labor-related actions: For more information, contact Jim Young at youngj@agc.org or 202-547-0133 or Claiborne Guy at claiborne.guy@agc.org or 703-837-5382.