Author: agcnews

Construction spending plunged in April as governmental agencies and project owners shut down ongoing work and canceled projects that were about to break ground, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials warned that further steep declines are inevitable for public projects unless the federal government acts quickly to invest in needed infrastructure and shore up crumbling state and local budgets. “Bad though these numbers are, construction spending appears sure to shrink further,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “In our latest survey, 40 percent of contractors report that an…

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AGC of America’s Union Contractors Committee will hold its next conference call on June 11, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. The call will feature updates from AGC staff and a roundtable discussion of labor matters around the country. Participation is open to all AGC members and chapter staff, regardless of committee membership. (AGC nonmembers may not participate.) To register for the call, click here. Call-in information will be sent to all registrants on the day prior to the call. Future calls are scheduled for September 10, 2020, and December 10, 2020, each starting at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Please mark your…

North America’s Building Trades Unions (“NABTU”) and CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training (NABTU’s research arm) on April 27 publicly released COVID-19 Standards for U.S. Construction Sites. The document provides recommended practices for construction employers to implement at job sites designed to prevent disease, disability, and death caused by exposure to infectious disease. The practices include staff training, symptom checking, social distancing, personal hygiene, and decontamination measures. Upon invitation to comment on a draft of the standards, AGC CEO Steve Sandherr sent a letter to NABTU President Sean McGarvey commending the building trades for the “thoughtful and comprehensive approach to protecting workers and…

On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule that allows employers to pay bonuses or other incentive-based pay to salaried, nonexempt employees whose hours vary from week to week. The final rule clarifies that payments in addition to the fixed salary are compatible with the use of the fluctuating workweek method under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). In the final rule, the DOL: DOL news release can be found here. For more information, contact Claiborne Guy at claiborne.guy@agc.org or 703-837-5382.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on AGC educational programs. Since mid-March, all of AGC’s live events have been postponed or we’ve looked for a way bring the same caliber of information to contractors in a virtual format. On this episode, AGC staff goes over the changes AGC has made to move our programs and events online, including the upcoming Federal Contractors Virtual Conference (fedcon.agc.org/) and Construction Safety, Health & Environmental Virtual Conference (shec.agc.org/).

The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) recently released its latest edition of the Union Labor Costs in Construction. The report (previously called Trends and Outlook) includes general and detailed information about trends in collectively bargained compensation in the industry, including data analyses by region, by time, and by trade. It can be a valuable resource when preparing for collective bargaining negotiations, particularly when used in conjunction with CLRC’s latest Settlements Report. “In percentage terms, the average increase for the first year of settlements has slowly and steadily risen since 2010/11, from 1.7 percent in 2010 to 2.9 percent in 2019. The gradual trend is forecasted…

On May 11, over 135 members of the House—led by Reps. Conor Lamb (D-PA) and Bob Gibbs (R-OH)—called on Speaker Pelosi and Leader McCarthy to support approximately $50 billion in federal funding for state departments of transportation (DOTs) in the next COVID-19 response package. AGC, along with other transportation construction stakeholders, spearheaded this effort. Also this week, House Democrats proposed providing $15 million in direct funding for state DOTs in their recently released HEROES Act (see above). While AGC appreciates this measure, it is strongly encouraging Congress to increase the amount of funding for state DOTs as the legislative process moves…

On May 14, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) released the final hours of service rule in order to improve the safety of the nation’s roads and increase flexibility for truck drivers. The final rule makes changes to four provisions: the short-haul exemption; adverse driving conditions; the 30-minute break; and split-sleeper berth. The final rule does not increase driving time. Last year, AGC submitted comments to FMCSA in support of the notice of proposed rulemaking. For more information, contact Murphie Barrett at murphie.barrett@agc.org

AGC’s Culture of CARE initiative is challenging leaders to take a bold and visible step towards ensuring their workplaces are welcoming, safe and inclusive for an increasingly diverse and talented pool of workers. On this episode, our guests share how this important program got started, how it’s growing, how it’s benefiting contractors in the AGC family, and how more contractors can sign the pledge and get started. Guests:Pastor Lawrence Willis, Urban League Seattle – urbanleague.org/Shannon Gustine, Hensel Phelps – www.henselphelps.com/Kari Karst, BX Civil & Construction – www.bx-cc.com/ Visit the website www.BuildCulture.org to find out how your company can take the Culture of CARE pledge. Companies…