If You Haven’t Contacted Your Rep, There is Still Time!
Throughout the month of August, AGC chapters and members have been visiting with their Congressmen, urging them to pass a long-term, fully funded transportation bill when they return to Washington in September. If you have not yet contacted your Congressman, now is the time to do so.
Decision Could Prove Very Problematic for Construction Firms
The National Labor Relations Board issued a disappointing but anticipated decision on Thursday that relaxes the standard for determining when two companies constitute “joint employers” under the National Labor Relations Act. As reported here, AGC submitted a joint amicus brief with other employer groups in the case last year. The brief urged the NLRB to maintain the current standard, under which separate entities are considered joint employers only if they share direct control over, or co-determine, essential terms and conditions of employment. The brief also urged the Board to refrain from relaxing the standard to the point where indirect or potential control would be enough. Consistent with the current Board’s penchant for expanding employer liability, the NLRB changed the standard to require consideration of whether an employer has exercised indirect control over terms and conditions of employment through an intermediary, or reserved the right to do so.
AGC Members Must Continue to Press House of Representatives for Action
The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee could meet as early as next week to mark up their version of a multiyear highway & transit bill. However, they have yet to make any formal announcement or release the bill. Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) said this week that the committee is working to finalize the bill and determine a markup date.
Projecting the cash flow in and out of the Highway Trust Fund is a difficult task for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Department just released new estimates that indicate there may be a sufficient balance to allow highway and transit funding to continue without interruption until June 2016, six months beyond the previous estimate.
On Sept. 10, AGC participated in a business community roundtable discussion on the “Fair Pay and Safe Work Places” Executive Order– commonly referred to as the Blacklisting Executive Order – with Republican members of the House Small Business Committee. AGC General Counsel Mike Kennedy discussed the myriad legal and practical difficulties this executive order will present construction contractors when bidding and performing work on federal contracts.
Federal Contractors Again the Focus of Executive Action
On Labor Day, President Obama signed an executive order that would mandate direct-federal prime contractors and subcontractors to issue paid sick leave. The executive order mandates paid sick leave at a rate of no less than 1 hour earned for every 30 hours worked, setting a minimum of 56 hours a year of paid sick leave—about seven days—covering not only employee illness, but also caring for a child, parent, spouse, domestic partner “or any other individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship.”
Register by Sept. 15 and Save $80
Jointly sponsored by AGC and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA), the 19th Annual AGC/CFMA Construction Financial Management Conference will be held Nov. 4-6, 2015 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev. This three-day conference offers programs and workshops designed specifically for financial professionals in the construction industry. The 32 interactive sessions will cover the latest industry issues and their financial implications.
Co-Located with the International Construction & Utility Equipment Expo
AGC will host its first ever Utility Infrastructure Conference, Sept. 29–Oct. 1 in Louisville, Kentucky. Join other contractors, owners and key industry constituents involved in every aspect of utility infrastructure construction for high-quality education sessions, the premier utility construction equipment expo, and networking opportunities.
Take Advantage Before It’s Too Late!
Get up-to-date information on a variety of issues that will impact the highway and transportation construction markets over the next year. The 2015 AGC Highway Contractors Conference will be held Nov. 5-7, 2015, at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.
The AGC-supported Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) has released its second report of the year on collective bargaining settlements in the industry. Settlements reported between January and September 2015 resulted in an average first-year wage-and-benefit increase of 2.5 percent or $1.25.
Construction employment declined in 153 out of 358 metro areas between August 2014 and August 2015, nearly matching the 163 areas that added construction jobs, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the number of metro areas losing construction jobs is on the rise amid growing uncertainty about federal funding for construction programs and growing shortages of qu
