New ConsensusDocs Contracts: How ABC Members Can Stay Ahead of the Curve

Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 Watch Now
Time: 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. (CT) / 9:00 a.m. (MT) / 8:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Brian Perlberg, Executive Director & Sr. Counsel, ConsensusDocs
Category:  AQC  
 
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION: 
Construction contracts set the foundation for a project's success or failure. Case law, technology and insurance have changed dramatically. If you are not updating your contracts, you are putting yourself at risk unnecessarily. Learn about recent industry updates and how they will impact your business, as well as how all parties can benefit from using best practices in construction contracts. 

ConsensusDocs recently updated its prime and subcontract agreements. This free webinar will highlight significant contractual changes, including faster payment terms, terminations, avoiding fiduciary relationships and more. 


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Combining Payroll and Benefits - Making Life Easy for Staff and Employees

Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Watch Now
Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (CT) / 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 30 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Nathaniel Peniston, Vice President, Fringe Benefit Group
Steve Antill, Director of Sales, Foundation Software
Category:    
Presented by ABC's Strategic Partner - Fringe Benefit Group



WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
Learn ways leading employers are significantly reducing the time spent on payroll and the administration of employee benefit programs while reducing errors and enhancing compliance and effectiveness. Traditional payroll service providers are not prepared to handle the unique needs of contractors  and can struggle with common tasks such as submitting certified payroll reports and prevailing wage calculations. Growing construction firms that leverage systems and processes designed to meet multiple jurisdictional requirements (multiple county prevailing wage rates for example) are better able to compete and win more business.


Nat Peniston, Vice President, The Contractors Plan
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Skin Cancer Awareness For Construction Workers

Date: Wednesday, May 3, 2017
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Time: 1:30 p.m. (ET) / 12:30 p.m. (CT) / 11:30 a.m. (MT) / 10:30 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Cheryl Stratos, Director of Marketing and Sales, National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA)
PRESENTED BY ABC's STRATEGIC PARTNER - CNA 



WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
With cases of melanoma on the rise, construction workers who spend the majority of their time working outside without sun protection are at risk. Melanoma does not discriminate by age, race or gender.
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Steel Toe Pro Overview

Date: Friday, April 21, 2017 Watch Now
Time: 12:00 p.m. (ET) / 11:00 a.m. (CT) / 10:00 a.m. (MT) / 9:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: J.D. Slaughter, Elissa Stautner John Stautner and Randy Walker
Category:    
WEBINAR DESCRIPTION
An overview of Steel Toe Pro. 

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Learn to Be Lean: Best Practices for your Business

Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Watch Now
Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (CT) / 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Mikael Reckley, Procore, Regional Marketing Manager
Category: Training and Education, Lean Construction  
PRESENTED BY ABC's NATIONAL EVENT SPONSOR - PROCORE

WEBINAR DESCRIPTION 
Learn Lean. Procore expert Mikael Reckley, formerly of Turner Construction, will be walking you through the basics to help you and your teams understand the foundation of lean principles and how they impact your job site and your overall business. Learn how lean building fits into the overall industry, and how it can you help solve waste and inefficiencies that lead to lower productivity.

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The Latest on the Trump Administration: Feb. 16 – 22

On Feb. 16, President Trump announced R. Alexander Acosta as his nominee for Secretary of Labor. Acosta is currently the dean of the Florida International University College of Law and previously served as an assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division and as a member of the National Labor Relations Board.  His nomination followed Andy Puzder’s withdrawal from the confirmation process.
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Legislation to Block ‘Blacklisting’ Rule Will Protect Contractors’ Rights

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today commended the U.S. House of Representatives for passing legislation (H. J. Res. 37) that will block implementation of the Obama administration’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673, commonly referred to as “blacklisting,” through the Congressional Review Act (CRA).  Implementation of the blacklisting rule’s reporting and disclosure requirements was temporarily blocked on Oct. 24, 2016, when a U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Texas ruled in favor of ABC’s lawsuit and granted a preliminary injunction against the reporting provisions of the rule, which were scheduled to take effect Oct. 25, 2016. Under the CRA, Congress may pass a resolution of disapproval to prohibit a federal agency from implementing a rule without congressional authorization with a majority vote in both houses of Congress. If President Trump signs the CRA resolution into law, it will block the blacklisting r ... Read the rest of entry »

Associated Builders and Contractors Applauds Court’s Injunction Against ‘Blacklisting’ Rule

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today applauded a preliminary injunction against the Obama administration’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces final rule, commonly referred to as “blacklisting,” issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas late Monday night. The preliminary injunction prevents the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council from implementing the rule, which was scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 25.  ABC, its ABC Southeast Texas Chapter and the National Association of Security Companies (NASCO) filed its legal challenge on Oct. 7 and filed a motion for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on Oct. 13. “Associated Builders and Contractors is pleased the court ruled that the Obama administration cannot order private businesses to publicly disclose mere accusations of labor law violations that have not been fully adjudicated,” said ABC Vice President of Regulatory, Labor & ... Read the rest of entry »

The Latest on the Trump Administration: Feb. 9–15

For an overview of administration activity to date and insight into potential legislative and regulatory actions, register for the Thursday, Feb. 16 webinar “Learn the Latest on the Trump Administration” presented by ABC’s general counsel Littler Mendelson, P.C.
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The Latest on the Trump Administration: Feb. 2–8

Over the last week, the Trump administration initiated a review of U.S. financial regulations and secured the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. Read the rest of entry »

Missouri Becomes 28th Right to Work State

On Feb. 6, Missouri became the 28th Right to Work state in the country and the sixth state to take action since 2012 after Gov. Eric Greitens (R-Mo.) signed ABC-supported legislation, SB 19.  Read the rest of entry »

5 Drawings Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Date: Thursday, February 9, 2017
Watch Now
Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (CT) / 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Jason Norris, Strategic Advisor, Procore 
Category: Training and Education  
PRESENTED BY ABC's NATIONAL EVENT SPONSOR - PROCORE

WEBINAR DESCRIPTION 
There are 5 common mistakes made with your drawings, and all of them can be avoided with the right solution. So we’ve gathered the experts to talk drawings and more as they dive into how to leverage our Drawings Tool to avoid mistakes, reduce rework, and ensure your teams are all on the same page
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Dexter + Chaney Strategic Partner Launch

Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2017
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Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (CT) / 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Eric Newton, SVP Marketing and , Dexter + Chaney 
Category: Training and Education  
PRESENTED BY ABC NATIONAL's STRATEGIC PARTNER - DEXTER + CHANEY 



WEBINAR DESCRIPTION 
Please join ABC National for an informative webinar introducing ABC's newest Strategic Partners - Dexter + Chaney.
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Six Critical Factors to Lean Construction Success

Date: Thursday, February 2, 2017
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Time: 11:00 a.m. (ET) / 10:00 a.m. (CT) / 9:00 a.m. (MT) / 8:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 30 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: John Wiegand, BIM360 Integration Consultant, Autodesk 
Category: Training and Education  
PRESENTED BY ABC's STRATEGIC PARTNER - AUTODESK 



WEBINAR DESCRIPTION 
Want to start implementing lean construction practices on your projects? Attend the webinar to hear how to  get lean with these six critical success factors. 
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The Latest on the Trump Administration: Jan. 20 – Feb. 1

In its first two weeks, the Trump administration took a series of significant executive actions in the areas of federal regulation, infrastructure, manufacturing, trade, immigration and health care.
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Employers Must Post OSHA Injury/Illness Form by Feb. 1

ABC is reminding its contractor member firms that their 2016 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 300A work-related injury and illness log summaries must be posted in a visible spot on all construction sites Feb. 1 through April 30.
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OSHA Final Rule Reverses "Volks" Decision

On Dec. 19, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule entitled, “clarification of employer’s continuing obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of each recordable injury and illness.” The final rule goes into effect Jan. 18, 2017.
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Final Rule Issued on Revising EEO Framework for National Apprenticeship Act

On Dec. 19, 2016, the Employment and Training Administration issued a final rule updating the equal employment opportunity regulations that implement the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 by amending 29 CFR Part 30. Current regulations prohibit discrimination in registered apprenticeship programs on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. The final rule updates the equal employment opportunity standards to include age (40 or older), genetic information, sexual orientation and disability among the protected base that cannot be discriminated against.
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Free Enterprise Momentum Continues with Passage of Prevailing Wage Repeal and Right to Work Laws in Kentucky

Kentucky became the 27th Right to Work state and 21st state without a prevailing wage after Gov. Matt Bevin signed ABC-supported legislation. The free enterprise-based laws are historic victories for the merit shop platform and provide tremendous momentum at the state level to begin the 2017 legislative season. 
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Building an Employee Engagement Strategy for 2020

Date: Thursday, January 26, 2017
Watch Now
Time: 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 1:00 p.m. (CT) / 12:00 p.m. (MT) / 11:00 a.m. (PT)
Length: 60 minutes
Fee: Free
Speaker: Santiago Jaramillo, Founder and CEO, Emplify
Category:    
PRESENTED AND SPONSORED BY EMPLIFY 

WEBINAR DESCRIPTION 
2020 is only four short years away, and new technology trends are continually launching that have the power to drastically affect your business model, as well as how you communicate with and engage employees in the field. In this session, get “20/20” vision into the tools that will make or break your success in the new decade.
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Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Finds Flaws in State Survey Calculations to Determine Prevailing Wage Amounts

The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance found the survey method used to calculate prevailing wage led to wages that: "do not reflect varying county construction wages or regional labor markets; are more "costly" in low-wage, low-income counties, particularly those in northern Wisconsin; can fluctuate widely and unpredictably from year to year, rather than change slowly and consistently as market wages typically do; can require contractors to pay un-skilled workers more than skilled workers in some situations; and may cost state and local government hundreds of millions of dollars in excess costs."  

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Anderson Economic Group Study finds Increase in Cost of Education Construction in Illinois due to Prevailing Wage Laws

A report by Anderson Economic Group, LLC found that an estimated $2.9 billion in education construction expenditures are subject to Illinois prevailing wage law and in the absence of the state's prevailing wage law, Illinois could have saved $158 million on average each of the past ten years. With an additional cost of $158 million per year due to prevailing wage laws, Illinois could have saved $1.6 billion dollars on school construction from 2002 to 2012.   

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Anderson Economic Group: The Impact of Michigan’s Prevailing Wage Law Education Construction Expenditures

A study by East Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group (AEG) found that Michigan’s prevailing wage law is costing taxpayers and draining millions of dollars per year from the state’s public universities, community colleges and school districts by driving up the costs of construction projects. The study found the prevailing wage requirement increases construction costs by approximately $224 million annually. Additionally, the study found that with no additional taxpayer funding, more than 315 additionally elementary buildings could have been built in the previous decade with the money lost because of the state’s prevailing wage requirement. 

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Columbia University: The Complex Worlds of New York Prevailing Wage

The study found the New York system of using collective bargaining agreements to establish wage rates is likely invalid given that union membership is presently lower than 30 percent in most localities. In fact, unions now represent only 24 percent of the state's construction workforce, yet New York still relies on union collective bargaining agreements when establishing prevailing wage rates. Near the turn of the last century, New York established wage standards to ensure construction workers were receiving a normal, or "prevailing," private-sector wage and benefits on public construction work. 

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GAO: Davis-Bacon Act: Methodological Changes Needed to Improve Wage Survey

An April 6, 2011 report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), titled, "Davis-Bacon Act: Methodological Changes Needed to Improve Wage Survey," highlighted serious flaws in how wages are determined under the Davis-Bacon Act, and recommended steps for the Department of Labor (DOL) to take to remedy some of the issues. GAO examined how DOL has addressed previous concerns from stakeholders, and also looked at new issues that need to be resolved.

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