Author: agcnews

Complying with statutory workplace requirements does not necessarily excuse an employer from its bargaining obligations. In Frontier Communications Corp., the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on May 26 upheld an Administrative Law Judge’s (ALJ) finding that an employer violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when it refused to bargain over the effects of requiring employees to submit new I-9 forms. The Board’s affirmation highlights the sensitive interaction between mandatory compliance with federal statutes and a unionized employer’s obligations under the NLRA. In late-2018 or early-2019, the employer in the case conducted an I-9 audit and uncovered extensive noncompliance with the…

New York and Vermont Iowa Post Biggest Monthly Losses, While Florida and Oklahoma Top Gainers; Texas and Wyoming Have Worst Job Losses from the Pandemic, as Utah and Idaho Add the Most Construction employment in May remained below the April level in 40 states and the District of Columbia, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government employment data released today. Association officials said skyrocketing materials prices and excessive delays in receiving key construction supplies were holding back the industry’s recovery. “Today’s numbers show that impacts from the pandemic on demand for projects and on materials…

The AGC Labor and Employment Law Council held its 36th Annual Construction Labor Law Symposium on June 10-11, 2021. The event was held virtually for the first time. The Council is a group of attorneys who regularly represent AGC members and chapters in labor and employment matters, and its annual symposium is for such attorneys and chapter labor staff. The program covered such topics as: The program also featured presentations by distinguished guest speakers Richard Bock, associate general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board’s Division of Advice, Jessica Looman, principal deputy administrator for the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division,…

Every week brings new reports of materials costs hitting record highs, while lead times lengthen or become ever more uncertain. AGC of America has updated the Construction Inflation Alert. This document is intended to help chapters and members explain to owners, government officials, and others, what is happening and what all parties can do to minimize the damage.

AGC Warns of Negative Impacts on Project Delivery and Environment The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed legislation which would expand the Buy America requirement to include construction materials. AGC and other industry stakeholders are concerned that this new requirement would include but not be limited to aggregates that are used to make products like cement and asphalt. AGC is very concerned about the impacts that this new requirement would have on the construction supply chain, project delivery and the environment. AGC and other industry stakeholders recently met with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to reconsider this approach. The…

Legislation would invest $40 billion in the clean water state revolving fund On June 10, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the AGC-supported Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021 (H.R. 1915) with bipartisan support. The bill would authorize over $50 billion to address America’s crumbling wastewater infrastructure and water quality challenges, providing funding for the construction, repair, and replacement of wastewater and stormwater systems. It would so do by significantly increasing the amount of federal assistance available through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF). The Act would also provide additional funding for investments in grant…

On June 16, a bipartisan group of senators—10 Democrats and 10 Republicans— announced an agreement on a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package. The two-page plan includes $579 billion in new spending (on top of reauthorized transportation programs) to rebuild America’s roads and bridges, improve public transit systems, invest in broadband infrastructure, and upgrade our airports. Of that total, $110 billion would be dedicated for roads, bridges, and major projects. The group states the plan would be paid for in part by repurposing unspent COVID relief funds, indexing the gas tax to inflation, implementing a fee on electric vehicles, and adjusting customs user fees.…

On Monday, September 20th, AGC Charities is holding a volunteer day at Give Kids the World Village to make improvements to the facility including replacing a protective fence and upgrading bathrooms at one of the Village’s pools. Watch this video here to learn more about the project. With your help, we can make this year’s AGC Charities Operation Opening Doors project a success so we can make sure these special kids get is truly spectacular. Read more.

Construction Association Calls on President to Immediately End Tariffs and Quotas on Steel, Aluminum, and Lumber as First Step to Easing Pressure on Construction Costs and Supply-Chain Bottlenecks The cost of goods and services used in construction climbed by a record-setting 4.3 percent in May and 24.3 percent over the past 12 months, jeopardizing contractors’ solvency and construction workers’ employment, according to an analysis by AGC of government data released today. Association officials urged the Biden administration to move more quickly to end tariffs and quotas that are adding to construction materials costs and availability problems. “The increase in producer prices for…

As AGC continues to pressure the Small Business Administration (SBA) to change its approach to applications for the forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Loans over $2M, the agency finally appears to be doing just that. The agency has yet to make any announcements and details are still missing. There is, however, a growing body of anecdotal and other evidence that the agency is finally accelerating the process of forgiving these loans. Over the last three business days, AGC has received either first-hand or reliable reports that SBA has forgiven another nine of these loans (over $2M) to AGC members. If this…