Author: agcnews
ACC New Jersey’s Construction Industry Career Day offers a unique platform for individuals to explore rewarding opportunities within the construction sector. Attendees like Marvin Malone, who transitioned from a white-collar career to the trades, find the event invaluable for gaining hands-on experience and real-world insights. The event provides a chance for participants to interact with industry professionals, understand the various trades, and learn how construction roles are vital to the country’s infrastructure. With opportunities to meet instructors and industry veterans, attendees are inspired to pursue new career paths and gain the security of a stable job in construction. The Career…
On June 10, AGC of America, and several of its members, took to the witness stand in federal court to halt three unfair provisions in the new Davis-Bacon final rule impacting its coverage to truck drivers, contractors with material supply operations, and where an owner fails to include the requirement in the bidding documents/contract. Doug Walterscheid (J. Lee Milligan Inc., AGC of Texas member), John Ramage (71 Construction, AGC of Wyoming member), Doug Tabeling (Carroll Daniel Construction, Georgia AGC member), and Jimmy Christianson (AGC of America) testified in the U. S. District Court for The Northern District of Texas in…
AGC recently released a new resource that provides contractors with tools to communicate effectively with project teams and successfully navigate the complexities of carbon reporting for a project. It describes a process for identifying accountability, what to track and report, and how to do so. Next steps? AGC has some options for you to learn more about the playbook and carbon reporting in general. The market demands for carbon reporting, low embodied carbon materials, and lower emissions projects continue to grow. AGC will continue to provide education and outreach on this topic to help contractors prepare to succeed on these…
This week, AGC of America, in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Waste Recycling Association, 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 (also known as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (or CERCLA). This rule imposes significant financial and legal burdens on contractors and could lead to costly litigation and stricter waste disposal practices. AGC supports a measured and science-based approach to cleaning up PFAS contamination, emphasizing that contractors will be on the…
Arbitration serves the construction industry well because arbitration panelists, who preside over binding decisions in arbitration, possess familiarity and subject matter expertise in construction. Construction cases often hinge on technical and complex matters. Also, arbitration generally offers faster and less costly resolution than litigation. In recent decades, arbitration has been critiqued for becoming more resource-intensive, involving extensive discovery. Some have coined this “arbilitigation.” There are ways for parties to act as decision-makers to streamline the process. ConsensusDocs is offering a July 18th live webinar entitled “Unlocking the Advantages of Arbitration Over Litigation,” which you can register for here. The webinar will outline…
AGC joined 95 other business organizations urging the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) to stay implementation of the overtime final rule to allow for judicial review. There are currently four legal challenges to the Department of Labor’s overtime rule in various federal courts, leaving the rule in legal jeopardy. Despite this legal uncertainty, the rule is currently slated to go into effect on July 1. This April, the DOL announced a final rule to Define and Delimit the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Associated General Contractors of America…
AGC of America joined 70 organizations, employers, unions, patient and disease advocacy groups, and health care stakeholders in reminding Congress of the value of employer-provided health care coverage and explaining why it should remain tax-free. The letter notes, “Employer-provided health care coverage advances the health and financial security of our nation by providing stable and effective financial protection to workers and their families, nearly 180 million in all, covering more Americans than any other insurance system.” “We are deeply concerned about proposals that will jeopardize the affordability and accessibility of health coverage. In addition to broad societal benefits and underpinning…
Only one-fifth of federal investments in postsecondary education support workforce development for fields like construction and manufacturing, while the rest of the money goes to “traditional” degree programs according to a new report on federal workforce funding levels released today. The report, which was produced by the Progressive Policy Institute, the Associated General Contractors of America and Procore, notes that this funding gap is making it hard for many employers to find qualified workers to hire. “If the U.S. does not act now to ensure the nation’s workforce is prepared for open job opportunities, more Americans will be unqualified for work and…
The construction industry added 21,000 jobs in May and 251,000 jobs over the past year, with increases at both nonresidential and residential construction firms, according to an analysis of new government data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials noted that nonresidential contractors report continuing difficulty filling positions despite the job gains, and they urged government officials to boost support for career development and allow more employment-based immigration. “Construction firms have been adding workers at a faster clip than most sectors,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “But contractors say they are still having trouble finding enough skilled…
Total construction spending inched down from March to April with declines in public projects and a mixed pattern among private residential and nonresidential categories, according to an analysis of a new government report that the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials noted that construction spending levels remain well above where they were a year ago and that most firms continue to struggle to find enough qualified workers to hire. “Overall spending slipped despite upturns in manufacturing and power construction and a slight pickup in single-family homebuilding,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Most public segments continued…