Author: agcnews
In a decision issued on Dec. 16, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board reinstated its prior standard providing off-duty workers employed by contractors more expansive rights to access publicly accessible areas of the workplace for the purpose of engaging in union organizing activity. Part of a wave of decisions overturning Trump-era precedent, the Board’s ruling in Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation d/b/a Tobin Center (“Bexar II”) prohibits property owners from excluding contractors’ employees who wish to engage in organizing activity on the worksite unless the activity “significantly interferes with the use of the property or where exclusion is justified by another…
Plunging prices for diesel fuel, lumber, and steel cooled inflation for materials and services used in construction in December, but relief may be short-lived, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials noted that contractors listed material costs as one of their top concerns in a survey the association released this month. “While producer price indexes for construction inputs fell in December, they still outpaced other inflation measures for the year,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “In addition, some prices have already turned higher in January. Contractors are right to rank materials…
New guidance instructs federal agencies to develop implementation rules that would quantify greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and incorporate the social cost of carbon in cost/benefit analysis that could impact permits for construction projects. On January 6, the White House Council on Environmental Quality issued new interim guidance to instruct federal agencies on how to factor greenhouse gas emissions and climate change into National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews that come into play on many infrastructure projects where there is a federal nexus (e.g., federal action, funding, or permit). The guidance directs agencies to assess and mitigate climate change impacts across the lifetime…
On January 12, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sided with AGC in tentatively denying an environmental group’s effort to force contractors to dispose of discarded PVC as a hazardous waste. On June 3, AGC was the only construction organization to publicly oppose a proposed consent decree that would settle the lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in D.C. federal court, saying EPA unreasonably delayed responding to CBD’s 2014 petition that asked the agency to regulate PVC under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Under the proposed “sue and settle” agreement, EPA promised to decide within nine months whether to move forward with…
Construction firms added 28,000 employees in December and continued to raise wages for hourly workers more than other sectors as the industry’s unemployment rate fell to a record low for the month, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government data. Association officials said the data align with their newly released survey, which found the majority of contractors are optimistic about demand for most construction types, despite reporting difficulty filling positions. “There are more people working in construction today than ever before, and those figures are likely to continue to increase,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief…
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that the $15-an-hour minimum wage for federal contractors under Executive Order (EO) 14026 will increase to $16.20 for 2023 because of inflation. AGC filed comments on the DOL’s original proposed rule implementing the EO. Workers covered by the EO are: Executive Order 14026 applies to new contracts, and renewals and extensions of existing contracts, beginning Jan. 30, 2022. For more information, contact Claiborne Guy at claiborne.guy@agc.org or 703-837-5382 or Jordan Howard at Jordan.howard@agc.org or 703-837-5368.
On Dec. 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a final rule to newly define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). AGC has been working to bring clarity to the question of when a costly and time-consuming federal water permit is required on projects (vs. a state permit). The agencies released the rule as the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding on a case that will have bearing on the definition of WOTUS. Furthermore, the agencies also have previously stated that they plan a second round of changes in a Phase Two rulemaking. “It is…
New Industry Outlook Survey Shows Contractors Expect Infrastructure and Other Public-Sector Funding Will Help As Growth Slows for Many Types of Private Construction, but Labor Shortages and Supply Chain Issues Persist Construction contractors are less optimistic about many private-sector segments than they were a year ago, but their expectations for the public sector market have remained relatively bullish, according to survey results released today by the Associated General Contractors of America and Sage. The findings are detailed in High Hopes for Public Sector Funding Amid Workforce and Supply Chain Challenges: The 2023 Construction Hiring & Business Outlook. “Contractors are optimistic about the construction…
Total construction spending increased by 0.2 percent in November, dragged down by a lack of new infrastructure projects along with a continuing slide in homebuilding, according to an analysis the Associated General Contractors of America released today of federal spending data. Association officials urged leaders in Washington to speed the release of funds authorized by infrastructure laws passed in 2021 and 2022 and address regulatory delays associated with those projects. “A variety of private nonresidential categories, as well as multifamily projects, posted solid spending gains in November,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “Many of these segments should continue…
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas and Provo-Orem, Utah Have Largest 12-Month Gains; While Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Fla. Has Lost the Most Total Jobs and Has the Fastest Rate of Annual Decline Construction employment increased in 268 of 358 metro areas between November 2021 and November 2022, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. Association officials said the job gains likely would have been higher but that many contractors report that demand for new projects is outpacing the availability of workers in many parts of the country. Read more.