Browse by Date - 202107

Due in part to AGC’s advocacy and others, a House fiscal year 2022 funding bill for the U.S. Department of Labor will not include a provision banning the construction industry from utilizing the H-2B seasonal guest worker visa program. The program provides temporary and seasonal workers when domestic workers are unavailable via a lottery process to a wide range of industries, including construction. Given the widespread worker shortages impacting the construction industry, AGC was very concerned of attempts to target and limit the industry’s ability to access the program.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule to rescind a Trump administration rule, “Joint Employer Status under the Fair Labor Standards Act” that took effect in March 2020.

On July 29, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council issued a proposed rule to add and expand Buy American Act requirements on direct federal construction projects (not federal-aid transportation projects). The proposed rule increases the domestic content required to 60% with increases in two years to 70% and then 75% in five years.

On July 28, the Senate agreed, 67-32, to begin debate on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package. Ahead of the vote, the bipartisan group of senators announced it had resolved all major issues on the package. As a result of this initial vote, the Senate will consider the package over the coming days and, perhaps, weeks. However, an actual legislative bill detailing what is in the package has yet-to-be released or formally introduced as of July 29.

Unveiling will be livestreamed on the association’s Facebook page, facebook.com/agcofa

Paul McLaughlin, Manager of Continuous Improvement for the Butz Family of Companies, which includes GBCA member Shoemaker Construction Co., has been a member of GBCA’s Construction Leadership Council Steering Committee since 2020. Representing the CLC, he has also served on GBCA’s Government Affairs and Education Committees.

While he was introduced to the construction trades from his family, it was during his freshman year at Drexel University that he cemented his pursuit of a career in construction. Upon learning that Construction Management was a major and after sitting in on a class, he immediately changed his major. Now in the industry, he values seeing the tangible results: The most rewarding thing for him is being able to see a project materialize from design through to a finished product.

On June 22, AGC along with over 100 other trade associations voiced their strong opposition to any attempts to roll back the 20 percent deduction for pass through businesses—S-corps, partnerships, limited liability companies—enacted in the Trump tax cuts under Section 199A of the federal tax code.

The U.S.

On July 16, AGC submitted regulatory comments on the U.S. Treasury Department's interim final rule governing how  state, local, territorial and Tribal governments can spend $350 billion from a COVID-relief fund established under President Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief law: the American Rescue Plan Act.

According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., contractors are projecting 2021 construction staff wages to increase an average of 3.23%, as reported by over 300 companies in the 38th edition of the Construction / Construction Management Staff Salary Survey.  For pay increase comparison, according to the WorldatWork, across all industries exempt professionals saw 2020 actual increases of 2.9% and they are projecting 2021 increases of 2.9%.  For construction WorldatWork reported a 3.4% increase in 2020 and are projecting 3

AGC’s National Construction Industry Workforce Summit to Take Place on Oct. 13

Registration is now open for the 2021 Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference to be held October 14-15, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri.