Author: agcnews
On February 17, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced it is seeking applicants for the $889 million available through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program to fund transportation projects, in line with the Biden Administration’s principles for national infrastructure projects that result in good-paying jobs, improve safety, apply transformative technology, and explicitly address climate change and racial equity. The Administration announced it will evaluate INFRA projects on two additional criteria 1) climate change and environmental justice, and 2) racial equity and reducing barriers to opportunity. New consideration has been given to project labor agreements and local…
On February 17, President Biden met with the leaders of the building trades unions in his effort to lay the foundation for infrastructure legislation after Congress considers a $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill. At the meeting, the president reaffirmed his support for the National Apprenticeship Act that would provide nearly $4 billion to expand registered apprenticeships through grants and streamlining the approval process. AGC is supportive of prioritizing the apprenticeship system. However, the association will oppose all attempts to bar access to funding opportunities or other benefits when a program is not aligned with a labor union. All bona fide and high-quality registered…
On February 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report finding, among other things, that fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask (“double masking”) improved source control and reduced wearer exposure to contracting COVID-19. Since the report’s release, news articles have circulated that suggest double masking is now a formal recommendation by CDC. Upon review, AGC holds that these findings simply highlight the importance of a good fit to maximize overall mask performance for the user and those whom the user may encounter, and NOT a formal CDC recommendation. The CDC on February 11 updated its…
In accordance with the Biden administration’s recent regulatory freeze memorandum, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposal to delay of the effective date to a final rule clarifying the standard for employee versus independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule originally was to be effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register, on March 8, 2021, however, the most recent proposal delays that date by an additional 60 days to allow the agency “the opportunity to review and consider the questions of law, policy, and fact raised by the rule[s].” The new effective date in the…
Union membership across occupations in the construction industry declined from an annual average of 1,055,000 in 2019 to 993,000 in 2020, a drop of 62,000 or 5.9%, according to an annual economic release recently issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”). However, total construction industry employment declined even more, from 8,352,000 to 7,829,000, a drop of 523,000 or 6.3%. As a result, union members’ share of employment inched up from 12.63% to 12.68%. Interestingly, while union membership inched up, union representation of workers in the industry actually declined over the year. In 2019, 1,133,000 (13.57%) workers in construction were represented by a…
Price increases—some to record-setting levels—and long delivery delays are causing hardships for construction firms that are also experiencing challenges in completing projects with crews limited by illness or new work site procedures resulting from the pandemic, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials urged the Biden administration to review and rescind a range of trade tariffs in place, including for Canadian lumber, that are contributing to the price increases. “The extreme price increases, as reflected in today’s producer price index report and other sources, are harming contractors on existing…
In this new episode of Commercial Construction: Elevate The Industry Podcast, Brian Turmail, Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives at Associated General Contractors of America, outlines the role of the AGC in support of commercial construction including advocacy, training, networking and more. He discusses how AGC had influence in keeping construction “Essential” through COVID-19, changes in PPP and other current legislative issues. He talks a lot about future trends in the industry, including a five year look-ahead. He also discusses how construction is unique among businesses and things he hopes do not change. “Throughout the interview, Brian’s energy…
On February 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, a bill that would provide nearly $4 billion to expand registered apprenticeships through grants and modify the approval process for apprenticeship programs. Importantly, the bill elevates the role of registered apprenticeship, makes it a national priority, and aligns workforce programs across multiple federal agencies. However, the bill includes language that would bar access to the new grant opportunities to programs that do not partner with a labor union. AGC supports all bona fide and high-quality apprenticeship programs that are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and…
The COVID-relief bill moving through Congress does not include a federal paid leave mandate. However, it does include an extension of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) refundable tax credits from March 31, 2021 through September 30, 2021 for those employers that follow those expired mandates. Additional information and guidance on FFCRA and the tax credits can be found on the Department of Labor website and Internal Revenue Service website. However, the tax credits included in the COVID-relief bill would also increase the amount of wages for which an employer may claim the paid family credit in a year from $10,000 to $12,000 per…
On February 10, the House Ways and Means Committee approved legislation, as part of the broader Biden Administration COVID-relief legislation, that would extend the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) through December 31, 2021. Previously, AGC supported the expansion and extension of the ERTC in the end-of-year (2020) COVID relief bill, which boosted the credit for eligible employers from $5,000 per year to $7,000 per quarter and extended its availability through June 31, 2021. The Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress have made it a priority to pass further COVID relief before enhanced unemployment benefits expire on March 14. AGC anticipates this…