Building

Suggests improvements based on contractor feedback

The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) has released a revised version of its annual Trends & Outlook Report now renamed Union Labor Costs in Construction.  The report includes general and detailed information about trends in collectively bargained compensation in the industry, including data analyses by region, by time, and by trade.  It can be a valuable resource when preparing for collective bargaining negotiations, particularly when used in conjunction with CLRC’s latest

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recently issued a new opinion letter clarifying the DOL’s position on designating and taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The opinion letter provides that “an employer is prohibited from delaying the designation of FMLA-qualifying leave as FMLA leave”, even if the employee would prefer it be delayed, and must notify the employee of the FMLA status of the employee’s leave within five days of the employer obtaining enough information to make the determination. The DOL also found that an employer may not permit employees to expand their FMLA leave beyond the statutory 12-week entitlement (or 26-week entitlement, in the case of military caregiver leave).

AGC of America’s Union Contractors Committee held two sessions during the association’s 100th Annual Convention in Denver, CO.  At an open meeting of the Union Contractors Steering Committee on April 3, participants received updates from committee leaders and staff and conducted a roundtable discussion on matters of concern to union contractors and their AGC chapters.  The committee also set the following dates for 2019 Union Contractors Conference Calls:  June 11, September 10, and November 19.  Each call will begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time and is open to all interested AGC members and chapter staff.