Author: agcnews

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released “Promising Practices for Preventing Harassment in the Construction Industry,” a document that highlights recommendations that the EEOC would like industry leaders to consider to combat harassment in construction. AGC has testified in front of the EEOC on the issue and convened association staff and member subject-matter experts in meetings with the agency to help the EEOC understand the particularities of the industry and the substantial efforts contractors are taking to prevent and address harassment. Much of this input hopefully was considered by the EEOC in the development of this guidance and…

According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., contractors are projecting 2024 construction staff wages to increase an average of 4.38%, as reported by over 360 companies in the 42st edition of the Construction / Construction Management Staff Salary Survey. Typically, projected increases are .3% to .5% higher by year end, so there is a good chance that pay will hit 4.7% or more this year. For pay increase comparison – according to WorldatWork, across all industries, exempt professionals saw 2023 increases of 4.5% with initial projected 2024 increases of 4.1%. Jeff Robinson with PAS will be presenting…

The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) celebrates a significant legal victory in its ongoing efforts to protect members from overreaching federal regulations. On June 24, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Lubbock granted AGC’s motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking AGC-challenged provisions to a rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) expanding coverage of the Davis-Bacon Act. AGC filed a narrowly tailored lawsuit in federal court against the DOL challenging the agency’s unlawful expansion of Davis-Bacon coverage to truck drivers and to material suppliers owned and operated by general contractors or subcontractors.…

Associated General Contractors of America Argues New Rule Exceeds Statutory Authority Under the Davis-Bacon Act, Court Agrees The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) celebrates a significant legal victory in its ongoing efforts to protect members from overreaching federal regulations. Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Lubbock has granted AGC’s motion for a nationwide preliminary injunction, temporarily blocking the AGC-challenged provisions to a rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor expanding coverage of the Davis-Bacon Act (DBA). Read more.

The rule adds requirements to an already complicated permitting process and ignores permitting reforms previously passed by Congress. On Tuesday, June 18, Senators Joe Manchin (D–W.Va.), Dan Sullivan (R–Alaska) and Congressman Garret Graves (R–La.) introduced an AGC-supported Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to nullify the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ’s) final rule, “National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Implementing Regulations Revisions Phase 2”. You may recall, AGC previously reported on this rule when it was released in May. The NEPA Phase 2 rule elevates climate and community impacts—requiring extensive review of effects, alternatives analysis, and mitigation on top of an already protracted process. Through this…

You may recall, AGC of America filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) challenging the agency’s new final rule that designates two widely used per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous substances under the Superfund law, or Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). This rule imposes significant financial and legal burdens on contractors and could lead to costly litigation and stricter waste disposal practices. We need your help! To proceed in this lawsuit, AGC will need to show it has members that are impacted by this rule. We need members to share examples of real-world impacts to their firms. If you…

AGC has notched some big wins in the courts in the last year and hopes to carry that momentum with litigation to protect construction companies. You may recall, last summer AGC had three wins at the Supreme Court in the Ciminelli case, Sackett case, and the Glacier Northwest case. The judicial advocacy continues as AGC is actively challenging government overreach in the courts — AGC’s involvement as a party/plaintiff in these lawsuits was made possible thanks to your contributions to the Construction Advocacy Fund. Keep up with the latest AGC Judicial Advocacy News. Listen to AGC’s ConstructorCast to learn more about the intricacies of the association’s litigation program.

We are excited to announce the opening of the 2024 Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Assessment, a resource designed exclusively for construction firms. This tool empowers companies to establish a baseline, measure progress, and celebrate successes in their D&I programs, policies, and practices. The construction industry has made significant strides in fostering inclusive workplaces, but measuring progress remains a challenge. The D&I Assessment addresses this need by providing a comprehensive and confidential platform for benchmarking against industry peers. It is the only tool tailored specifically for construction companies, allowing for a more accurate assessment on your company’s current D&I efforts. Why Participate…

Chicagoland AGC’s CLC hosted a beach cleanup on Thursday, May 23rd as part of the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Adopt-a-Beach program. The group’s young professionals gathered on the shores of Lake Michigan at Chicago’s iconic Oak Street Beach where they collected 306 pounds of litter in 40 trash bags. “When you can combine quality industry networking with a worthwhile volunteer activity that helps the environment and fellow Chicagoans,” Ben Penzick of member firm Dalux US described, “throw in food and drinks, and do it on a gorgeous day in downtown Chicago… there are few ways to host a better event!” As…

The Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations on the prevailing wage and apprenticeship (PWA) requirements related to increased credit or deduction amounts for certain clean energy incentives, enacted as a part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA provides increased credit or deduction amounts for taxpayers who satisfy certain PWA requirements regarding the construction, alteration or repair of certain clean energy facilities or properties, projects or equipment. By satisfying the PWA requirements, taxpayers can generally increase the base amount of the credit or deduction by five times. The Inflation Reduction Act was intended to spur…