Last week, the "so-called" Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) was introduced in both the House and the Senate. While H.R. 1409 had 223 cosponsors and S. 560 had 40 cosponsors, the total number of cosponsors was less than supporters had hoped, indicating that businesses and other groups in opposition are making a strong case to leaders on Capitol Hill. AGC released a statement March 10 in response to the introduction of card check and announced that more than 10,000 AGC members had sent messages to Congress in opposition to the legislation. That number has grown to over 14,000 in just three days.This bill would deprive millions of employees the right to a private vote when deciding whether or not to unionize. It would hurt construction workers and make it very difficult for small construction companies to grow, hire or succeed. This legislation would also lead to federally mandated employment terms for construction firms.Though most of the focus of this bill has been the impact on open shop employers and their employees, EFCA is also likely to have a negative effect on union contractors and their 8(f) "pre-hire agreements." Visit www.agc.org/efca to learn more about the impact of EFCA on union contractors.AGC strongly opposes this legislation. Please continue to use AGC's Legislative Action Center to write and let your Members of Congress know your opposition to EFCA. The Senators in Colorado, Louisiana, Arkansas, Virginia, Nebraska and North Carolina are considered key in stopping EFCA from moving forward, but all Members of Congress need to hear from you. It is important to stress to your Senators that it is not enough just to oppose the bill, but to oppose any procedural votes such as cloture votes on EFCA.
At last week's AGC Annual Convention, Michael Kenig, Vice Chair of Holder Construction in Atlanta, GA became chairman of the AGC Building Division. Dirk Elsperman of Tarlton Corp. in St. Louis, MO completed his term at the Convention. Mike is a member of the AGC Executive Board, recently served as Division Vice Chairman, previously led the Project Delivery Committee, and has been involved in numerous AGC and industry initiatives throughout his career. Paul Hoffman, President of Hoffman, LLC in Appleton, WI was elected as Division Vice Chair.Other AGC Building Division leadership changes include:Rick Andritsch, VJS Construction Services, Pewaukee, WI is the new chair of the Construction Marketing Committee. Terry Wooding, Petra Construction Corp., North Haven, CT completed his term.Steve Kimball, Kimball Construction Company, Inc., Baltimore, MD is the new chair of the Industry Liaison Committee. Chuck Greco, Linbeck Group LLC, Houston, TX completed his term. Doug Maibach, Barton Malow Co., Southfield, MI is the new chair of the Project Delivery Committee. Mike Kenig, Holder Construction, Atlanta, GA completed his term.A special thank you to Dirk Elsperman, Terry Wooding, Chuck Greco and Mike Kenig for their service to AGC.New officers of AGC of America include the following: J. Doug Pruitt, chairman and chief executive officer of Sundt Construction Inc., Tempe, Ariz., will serve as president; Ted Aadland, president of Aadland Evans Constructors, Inc., Portland, Ore., will serve as senior vice president; Kristine Young, CEO of Miller the Driller, Des Moines, Iowa, will serve as vice president; and Samuel Hutchinson, president of Interface Construction Corp., St. Louis, Mo., will serve as treasurer.
Increasing interest in opportunities in public works projects, coupled with a massive increase in Federal construction projects "ready to go" thanks to the economic stimulus package, will be a major focus of the 2009 AGC Annual Convention in San Diego.The annual session of the Federal and Heavy Construction Division will be held March 6 and focus on acquainting all those interested in pursuing contracting opportunities with the Federal government, particularly in light of the current state of the private construction market and the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Economic Stimulus Package). This special session will be Moderated by Tom Kelleher of Smith, Currie & Hancock and feature a panel of speakers covering the construction markets, bonding industry and legal experts to help navigate the complexities of the Federal market.AGC is also proud to host a special day-long Federal Forum, which will take place March 5 from 9:00am - 3:15pm and conclude with a Federal Forum Reception that will take place from 5:00pm-6:00pm. Other meetings of interest to contractors interested in the Federal market include a joint session of the Corps of Engineers and Marine Contractors Committees, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Committee, and a special session on the $10 Billion Military Construction Program underway in Guam. All three session will be held throughout the day on March 4.For more information contact Marco Giamberardino at giamberm@agc.org.
The AGC 90th Annual Convention and Constructor Expo has something for everyone.
AGC Webinar - February 26, 2009 from 2:00 to 3:30 PM (ET).
On February 13, 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (HR 1), and President Obama signed the bill at a ceremony in Denver on February 17.
IPD: Lessons from the Trenches - AGC Webinar - February 26, 2009 from 2:00 to 3:30 PM (ET).
The AGC BIMForum's Dallas Meeting on May 28-29, 2009 is themed BIM NOW MORE THAN EVER...the embedded value of BIM and the Bottom line, from the 30-day and 30-year perspectives.
Join us in San Diego for AGC's 90th Annual Convention and Constructor Expo - an experience you can't afford to miss!
AGC of America and the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) have discussed offering a specialized certification called the Certified Professional Services Marketer/Construction (CPSM/C).