The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has revamped the Employment Referral Resource Directory (ERRD). The ERRD lists government and nonprofit organizations as references to assist federal contractors' hiring of qualified applicants. ERRD was developed as a compliance assistance tool to help federal contractors identify local job referral services for veterans, individuals with disabilities, women, and minority groups. OFCCP hopes these updates will allow federal contractors to navigate the directory more easily to meet their compliance obligations.
AGC’s 2020 Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference wrapped up Oct. 8 after five days of education, sharing of best practices and networking virtually. The conference continues to be a must-attend event for human resources and training professionals in the construction industry.
California and Vermont Post Worst Losses since February as Virginia and South Dakota Add the Most;Illinois and Iowa Have Worst One-Month Job Losses, While New York and Vermont Post Biggest Gains
Collective bargaining negotiations settled during the first three quarters of 2020 resulted in an average first-year increase in wages and benefits of 2.7 percent or $1.59, reports the Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) in its latest Settlements Report. This compares to an average first-year increase of 2.8 percent or $1.66 reported during the same period in 2019 and of 2.9 percent or $1.67 reported for all of 2019.
Officials Say Nationwide Plan Should Set Clear Distribution Priorities, Warn that Delegating Responsibility for Distributing Coronavirus Vaccine to State & Local Officials will Lead to Confusion, Delays, & Hardship
On October 15, AGC—along with the American Council of Engineering Companies, American Institute of Architects, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and others—called on President Trump to rescind his Executive Order 13950, Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping. The EO will generate further confusion and uncertainty, lead to non-meritorious investigations, and hinder the ability of employers to implement critical programs to promote diversity and combat discrimination in the workplace. Earlier this year, AGC launched its own diversity and inclusion initiative—Culture of Care—to advance the construction industry as the industry of choice for diverse and talented workers by building inclusive work environments in firms nationwide. AGC remains committed to the Culture of Care and its underlying principles.
National Association will Use Results to Push for Additional Relief Measures
AGC of America, jointly with nine other associations that are members of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (“CDW”), submitted an amicus brief to the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) in a case reviewing the contract bar doctrine on October 8. The contract bar doctrine precludes a union representation or decertification election during the term of a legitimate collective bargaining agreement, up to a three-year term. The NLRB invited amicus briefs in the Mountaire Farms case to provide input as to whether the Board should rescind the contract bar doctrine, retain it as it currently exists, or retain it with modifications.
As employers face unimaginable disruptions during the pandemic, they are still bound by compliance and reporting health care requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Despite relief provided to employers to date, there remains a need for greater regulatory compliance relief. Health care requirements and compliance rules prior to the coronavirus were complex and that complexity has grown. In response to this growing complexity, the Partnership for Employer-Sponsored Coverage—of which AGC is a member—called on the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department to provide compliance safe harbors under the ACA on the affordability test along with increased time and flexibility to come into compliance.