Offering Undocumented Immigrants a Path to Legal Status Will Put an End to Unfair Competition and Labor Exploitation, But Bill Fails to Create a Construction Worker Visa Program, Has Other Flaws
National Association will Use Results to Push for Additional Relief Measures
AGC called on President Biden to take immediate steps to address soaring lumber prices, as well as rising costs for other construction materials. AGC CEO Steve Sandherr warned that rapidly rising lumber prices pose a growing threat to multifamily housing and other construction sectors. He urged the administration to work with domestic lumber producers to ramp up production to ease growing shortages. He also called on the President to work with Canada on a new softwood lumber agreement and eliminate existing tariffs on wood products.
Government-Mandated Project Labor Agreements, Local Hire Mandates and More
Rolls Back Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program
On February 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report finding, among other things, that fitting a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask (“double masking”) improved source control and reduced wearer exposure to contracting COVID-19. Since the report’s release, news articles have circulated that suggest double masking is now a formal recommendation by CDC. Upon review, AGC holds that these findings simply highlight the importance of a good fit to maximize overall mask performance for the user and those whom the user may encounter, and NOT a formal CDC recommendation. The CDC on February 11 updated its “Guidance for Wearing Masks” webpage, which contains “What You Need to Know” bullets that are good reminders of the policies and procedures related to masks that the CDC recommends. Neither the recent report nor the updated CDC webpage would by itself lead to changes in an employer’s existing safety procedures and policies.
Union membership across occupations in the construction industry declined from an annual average of 1,055,000 in 2019 to 993,000 in 2020, a drop of 62,000 or 5.9%, according to an annual economic release recently issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”). However, total construction industry employment declined even more, from 8,352,000 to 7,829,000, a drop of 523,000 or 6.3%. As a result, union members’ share of employment inched up from 12.63% to 12.68%.
Association Officials Call for Removing Tariffs on Key Materials to Provide Immediate Relief for Hard-Hit Contractors and Exploring Ways to Expand Long-Term Capacity for Steel, Lumber and Other Materials
The construction industry is raising awareness and encouraging open discussion about mental health and substance abuse to reduce suicide in the workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic has added stress, anxiety, and fear to contractors’ already high risk of suicide. We can all agree this is a scary subject and we need to address the public health crisis in our country. But how do we heal our workforce? Please use the following resources to help you spot warning signs, start the conversation, and provide support to those who need it – which can save lives. It takes construction professionals at all levels working together and with their risk partners to build a culture of caring and prevention.