President Trump recently signed the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017, or HIRE Vets Act, which directs the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to establish the HIRE Vets Medallion Program. The goal of the program is to reward employers who hire veterans and who support the veteran community.

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, was introduced in the Committee on Education and the Workforce by Reps. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) on May 4. The ABC-supported legislation would provide more access to valuable career and technical education (CTE) programs and ensure these programs are aligned with in-demand jobs, including construction.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced it had renewed its partnership with ABC’s Central Texas Chapter and promoted the partnership as a success story. In an article posted to its website, OSHA highlighted a number of collaborative programs between ABC and OSHA that led to a significant safety achievement: The 2016 combined Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate for participating contractors was 50 percent below the 2015 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) average.

The U.S. House of Representatives took steps to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act by passing H.R. 1628, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) on May 4. H.R. 1628 repeals several of the most harmful and burdensome provisions of the ACA, including the employer mandate penalty, costly tax increases and limitations on contributions to and restrictions on the use of flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts. ABC sent a letter in support of H.R. 1628 to the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed the House by a vote of 217-213. The bill now awaits action in the U.S. Senate.

Thornton Construction Co. Inc. of Miami, a member of ABC’s Florida East Coast Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.  A company that meets these criteria and has earned Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Gold, Platinum or Diamond status can apply to be an Accredited Quality Contractor. 

Construction Executive is seeking input from ABC member construction firms that have built a company app geared toward internal staff or external customers. If your company has been through (or is in the midst of) the app development process, email Senior Editor Joanna Masterson, or drop CE a comment on Facebook or Twitter. CE will follow up with interview questions on why the company wanted/needed an app, how the development process worked, challenges encountered, how employees/customers have responded, etc. The article will appear in CE's September issue.

On April 25, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a memorandum withdrawing a letter of interpretation that stated nonunion employees can authorize an individual “affiliated with a union or a community organization” to act as their representative during agency-sanctioned inspections and other enforcement situations.

On May 2, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Working Families Flexibility Act of 2017 (H.R. 1180), which would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide compensatory time for employees in the private sector. The bill passed by a vote of 229-197.

In his first 100 days in office, President Trump took a variety of actions that impact ABC members culminating in the swearing in of U.S. Department of Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta on April 28. Read a statement by ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman praising President Trump for taking important steps to create a pro-growth business environment and a summary of those actions.

U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary R. Alexander Acosta was sworn in on April 28, giving President Trump a full cabinet just ahead of his 100th day in office. ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman congratulated Secretary Acosta in a statement released shortly after he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and committed to working with DOL to address the needs of the construction industry.