Attention remains focused on the complaint by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with regard to Boeing’s South Carolina Dreamliner plant. The complaint claims that Boeing violated federal labor law by building this plant in retaliation against past strikes by the unions.  Boeing disputes this claim.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has established a new standard for addressing the access rights of off-duty employees of an onsite contractor to the premises of the property owner for the purpose of distributing union-supporting handbills.  While the case in which the new standard was issued involved a service contractor rather than a construction contractor, it could have ramifications in the construction industry.

The Obama Administration has focused heavily on the enforcement of employment laws by government agencies across the board, and now, new measures are being taken to allow various agencies and sub-agencies to collaborate on their independent enforcement directives.  Employers are encouraged to prepare now or possibly face tough penalties.

The Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the agency that administers various affirmative action laws applicable to federal contractors, published proposed regulations on April 26, 2011, that, if implemented, will significantly increase contractors' obligations as they relate to protected veterans. 

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched I-9 Central, a new online resource center dedicated to Form I-9, the Employee Eligibility Verification form. This website is intended to provide employers and employees with one-click access to resources, tips and guidance to properly complete Form I-9 and better understand the Form I-9 process.

Registration is now open for AGC’s HR Professionals Conference, to be held October 4-6, 2011, at the Crowne Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel filed a complaint April 20 against Boeing, claiming that Boeing violated federal labor law by building a second production line for its Dreamliner at a non-union factory in South Carolina in retaliation against past strikes by the unions. 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has scheduled five upcoming conferences throughout the country to educate federal contractors on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts and other federal contracting wage laws the agency enforces. 

On April 6, 2011, the Social Security Administration (SSA) resumed sending "Decentralized Correspondence" letters, commonly referred to as "no-match" letters, to individuals and employers notifying them of discrepancies between information reported on form W-2 and SSA records.   SSA stopped sending no-match letters during tax years 2007-2009 due to litigation over controversial regulations that were eventually rescinded.

On April 14, 2011, the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced a final rule that adopts, without changes, a 2009 interim rule that changed Form I-9, the Employment Eligibility Verification form.