AGC of America’s Union Contractors Committee will hold its next quarterly virtual meeting on June 21, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. EASTERN Daylight Time. All interested AGC members and chapter staff are invited. The meeting is not open to nonmembers. The agenda will include updates from AGC staff and an open discussion of labor relations matters.
Pre-Conference Federal Contractor HR Workshop Presentations Accepted Also
DHS is ending the COVID-19 Temporary Policy for List B Identity Documents. Beginning May 1, employers will no longer be able to accept expired List B documents. DHS adopted the temporary policy in response to the difficulties many individuals experienced with renewing documents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that document-issuing authorities have reopened and/or provided alternatives to in-person renewals, DHS will end this flexibility. Starting May 1, 2022, employers must only accept unexpired List B documents. If an employee presented an expired List B document between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2022, employers are required to update their Forms I-9 by July 31, 2022.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced that it has published guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with opioid use disorder (OUD) who are in treatment or recovery, including those who take medication to treat their OUD. The publication, “The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Opioid Crisis: Combating Discrimination Against People in Treatment or Recovery,” is intended to help people with OUD who are in treatment or recovery understand their rights under federal law and to provide guidance to entities covered by the ADA about how to comply with the law.
One of a Four-Part Series on Improving Worker Health & Behavioral Outcomes
The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) has released its annual report on Union Labor Costs in Construction. The report covers trends in collectively bargained compensation in the industry, providing data analyses by region, time, and trade. It can be a valuable resource when preparing for collective bargaining negotiations, particularly when used in conjunction with CLRC’s latest Settlements Report.
With the federal government seeking to mandate the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) in federal construction, AGC of America needs members’ help in providing information about the impact of PLA mandates on their business. The association is presently asking members to complete the survey here to provide such information.
A federal Judge in Texas recently ruled that the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) DOL violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when promulgating both the Delay and Withdrawal Rules. The ruling effectively reinstates the Trump rule dating back to March 2021. AGC has long called for federal clarification of the independent contractor status and preservation of legitimate independent contractor relationships, such as those that have historically existed in the construction industry. AGC supported the Trump administration’s rule that adopted a consistent, clear and common-sense standard for determining independent contractor status under the FLSA and filed comments opposing the DOL move to withdraw the rule. AGC will keep members apprised of any new developments and fully expects to participate in any future revision or adoption of guidance regarding the independent contractor status.
On March 3, 2022, President Joe Biden signed a law that limits the use of predispute arbitration agreements and class action waivers covering sexual assault and sexual harassment claims.
According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction executive staff wage increases came in at 4.3% for 2021 and are also projected to rise by an average 4.3% by 2022 year-end. Though the projected 2022 increase is 4.3%, it is pointed out that historically executive staff predictions are low, so year-end 2022 increases might come in even as high as 4.8%.