Join AGC, NCCER and Ambition Theory on Monday, March 4 at 12pm EST for a Women in Construction Week Webinar, From Insights to Action Plan: A Toolkit for Advancing Women in Construction. During the webinar, we will share a new actionable toolkit - based off the findings from the 2023 "Building Better: Women in Construction Report" and following a discussion with construction firms during AGC's Construction HR & Workforce Conference - designed to help companies move beyond recruitment and pave the way for more women to move into leadership positions.

Printed with Permission from Troutman PepperWritten by: Andrea Wortzel, Viktoriia De Las Casas, and Morgan Gerard

New Proposal Would Add Requirements Under RCRA

The Inflation Reduction Act empowered the federal agencies to explore the use of construction materials that have a lower embodied carbon (lower emissions associated with their life cycle). Pursuant to this, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) have separate requests out for public feedback. EPA requests public comment on their draft approach in developing a new carbon labeling program for construction materials. And GSA would like feedback on low-embodied carbon asphalt and concrete as well as the use of environmental product declarations (EPDs). AGC has provided feedback previously and will work with members in drafting any response to these current requests.

On February 20, AGC and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) jointly filed amicus briefs in support of the 22 states challenging the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) greenhouse gas performance (GHG) measure rule. AGC has long held that the Biden administration lacks the statutory authority to issue this rule, as Congress repeatedly debated and rejected the effort.

On January 30, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council proposed a rule that would require significant changes to pay transparency and applicant hiring to federal prime contractors and its subcontractors. Among the new requirements, the proposed rule would require federal prime contractors and subcontractors to disclose the compensation to be offered to the hired applicant in job announcements for certain positions. The proposed rule broadly defines this as, “all advertisements for job openings involving work on or in connection with a government contract placed by or on behalf of the contractor or subcontractor, the compensation to be offered to the hired applicant, for any position to perform work on or in connection with the contract.” It would also prohibit contractors and subcontractors from seeking and considering information about job applicants' compensation history when making employment decisions for certain positions. The FAR Council is accepting comments until April 1, 2024.

AGC of America’s 2024 Annual Convention is right around the corner, March 19-22, 2024, in San Diego, CA. Among the many valuable sessions and networking opportunities are some impactful sessions of particular interest to Human Resource & Labor News subscribers.

AGC is thrilled to announce an exciting new discount program for association members! The HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER is the first breath test to isolate workday cannabis use and is now available to AGC members at a discounted price. In an industry where split-second decisions and precise coordination are essential, cannabis testing is vital to helping AGC members build and maintain safe workplaces.

On Feb. 9, AGC of America and other business groups coordinated by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace jointly filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to set aside a significant National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) decision that makes it easier for unions to gain recognition without a secret-ballot election beyond 8(f) recognition in construction.

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the way we communicate with members and AGC chapters, we ask that you please take a few minutes to complete the following AGC of America communications survey by Friday, March 1. The information you provide will help us as we prepare future editions of AGC’s Constructor Magazine, continue to enhance our e-mail newsletters and produce future episodes of AGC’s ConstructorCast podcast. The information will also help us improve our social media communications and development of future informational videos.