Author: agcnews

Partnering Agreements No Longer Required for the Now-Named Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering & Collaboration Awards When AGC opens the awards programs applications on July 17th, any project that is excelling at partnering and collaboration will be able to apply for the revamped Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering & Collaboration Award. Firms will no longer have to submit formal partnering agreements as part of their application. Instead, the award judges will evaluate the strength of the partnering and collaboration on a project. Here is a brief video explaining the revamped Marvin M. Black Awards program: Learn more about AGC’s awards…

The construction sector added 23,000 jobs in June while the sector’s unemployment rate fell to the lowest rate ever for the month and pay levels in the industry continued to rise, according to an analysis of new government data the Associated General Contractors of America released today. Association officials said there appears to be plenty of demand for construction services and that employers likely would have added even more jobs if they could find more workers to hire. “There was no letup in demand for construction workers in June, while the supply of available workers remained exceptionally tight,” said Ken Simonson, the…

AGC to offer an educational webinar on July 27 to help contractors prepare for what to expect from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in upcoming audits and if they become involved in your Mega Projects. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has published the latest Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) for construction contractors, which is comprised of 250 federal contractors, federally assisted contractors and subcontractors. OFCCP also recently announced a renewed Mega Construction Project Initiative reaffirming contractors’ Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action requirements under covered federal contracts. Contractors working on identified specific Mega Projects will receive enhanced…

In April 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the first national emphasis program (NEP) addressing outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards. AGC worked with the agency to issue a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) clarifying contractors’ obligations under the NEP to better assist members with effectively protecting workers from hazards related to heat, while also avoiding citations during any enforcement proceedings. The FAQs offer clearer guidance regarding program elements and policies that OSHA will deem effective at protecting workers from heat related hazards. Issues addressed include availability and access to water, measures for providing shade, effective training methods and topics covered,…

In its unanimous June 29 decision in Groff v. DeJoy, the U.S Supreme Court disrupted decades of precedent in ruling that, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an employer that rejects a religious accommodation request on the basis of “undue hardship” must prove a burden well beyond a “de minimis cost.” The employer must establish that the rejected accommodation requires “substantial increased costs in relation to the conduct of [the employer’s] particular business.” The Court further clarified that a negative impact on co-workers resulting from the requested accommodation does not automatically qualify the accommodation as an “undue…

Total construction spending in May increased by 0.9 percent from April and 2.4 percent year-over-year as gains in manufacturing construction and single-family homebuilding offset a downturn in major infrastructure segments, according to an analysis today by the Associated General Contractors of America of new federal data. Read more.

Written by the Mobile Section, Alabama AGC, for Constructor Magazine During National Work Zone Awareness Week, the Mobile Section, Alabama AGC’s Work Zone Safety Committee worked closely with the Alabama Department of Transportation to host the kickoff press conference in Mobile, Alabama which featured a 35’-tall barrel flagger, W. Z. Flagger, a creation of committee member C & H Construction Services, LLC, serving as a larger-than-life reminder that orange is a sign to slow down. The committee recognizes that the future of work zone safety depends on the continuous education of everyone, including children. With this in mind, they created…

Written by A.D. Thompson Deyana Thomas didn’t come from the best neighborhood, but the Philadelphia native’s drive and dedication — not to mention her interest in carpentry — came from her dad. Thomas spent a lot of time helping her father on jobsites when she was a kid. Like most single-digit apprentices, her first tool was a broom, but she was measuring and cutting sheetrock, plywood and tile by age 12. ACG and Procore Technologies have partnered to create a program to help inspiring students at historically Black colleges and universities. They’ve raised lots of money – and lots of…

Artificial intelligence or AI is causing significant disruption in the construction industry and our world. However, in the context of construction law, contracts, and risk management, the abbreviation “AI” refers (first and foremost and for purposes of this article) to additional insured (AI). Obtaining coverage as an additional insured is part of the foundation for insurance coverage and legal defense against claims in construction. AI status allows upstream parties to access downstream parties’ insurance coverage directly and request that the insurance carrier provide a defense. This article highlights the importance of appropriately tailoring AI coverage obligations in your contracts and…

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has notified the Small Business Administration (SBA) that it intends to convene a Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) panel, also known as a “SBREFA” panel, on a possible heat standard in the next sixty (60) days – on or about August 21, 2023. OSHA will host a series of video conferences with Small Entity Representatives (SERs) selected from the potentially regulated sectors in the September 2023 timeframe. Once all conferences are complete, the panel will conclude with a final report to the head of OSHA. Click HERE to learn more. AGC is working with its…