Democrats’ Vote in Favor of the PRO Act Will Hurt Workers and Undermine the Economic Recovery, Top Construction Industry Official Says, Urges Senate to Reject Measure Before it Harms the Economy
Late last week, the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) continued its campaign to persuade the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to change the way it decides whether to forgive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of over $2M. The specific target of AGC’s campaign is a Loan Necessity Questionnaire that has greatly surprised and frustrated the borrowers of such loans, as they now seek forgiveness of them.
As construction continues to be an essential industry in helping our nation’s economic recovery, firms are fighting the growing workforce shortage and looking to recruit more women than ever before. Women are making an impact in the industry by bringing new skill sets, opinions, and experiences into the office and the field – and a diverse workforce leads to stronger companies. Yes, there are certainly challenges. But perceptions and cultures are changing. During “Women in Construction Week 2021 (March 7-13, 2021),” AGC’s ConstructorCast celebrates the successes and talks about what women have done to further the industry.
Private Nonresidential Market Shrinks 10 Percent Since January 2020 with Declines in All 11 Segments; Growing Cancellations, Proposed Labor Law Change Threaten to Harm Employers and Workers Alike
Association Officials Urge Congress and Biden Administration to Focus on New Infrastructure Funding, Address Rising Materials Prices and Avoid Disruptive Measures like the PRO Act to Stem Sector Job Losses
House Democrats unveiled their long-awaited plan to revive earmarks – or “congressionally directed spending” as they are rebranded. The plan would allow members of Congress to direct money in the annual spending bills that would benefit specific projects in their district. The ban on this practice had resulted in this spending authority being ceded to the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) through discretionary grants. Following that announcement, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio noted that earmarks would be included in the upcoming surface transportation bill and that additional details would be coming later this month. The Senate is separately working out a plan to restore earmarks however the path forward is less clear. AGC will continue to track this issue as further details are released.
The Senate is currently considering the latest COVID relief bill, which includes a new round of multiemployer pension relief. The bill would create a Special Financial Assistance Program for struggling multiemployer pension plans. Under the Special Financial Assistance Program eligible plans include critical and declining plans, some critical plans and a few endangered plans would receive a one-time lump sum payment that is equal to the amount of funding needed to pay benefits through 2051 (30 years). The proposal does not include any concept of repayment for this assistance.
In response to a directive from President Biden, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued guidance to state unemployment insurance agencies that expands the number of instances in which workers may be eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). These newly eligible workers self-certify that they refused to work or accept an offer of work at a worksite not in compliance with coronavirus health and safety standards, with states being responsible for investigating and accepting or denying claims.
Unemployment benefits and bonus extended