ABC Empire State Chapter held a rally with a diverse crowd of hundreds of open-shop craft workers to voice opposition to mandated apprenticeship on private construction jobsites. “ABC’s number-one priority is the safety and wellbeing of the talented men and women who work for our member companies,” said Brian Sampson, president of the ABC Empire State Chapter.

Award-winning ABC member Hensel Phelps is celebrating its 80th year of continuous operations in 2017. Founded in Greeley, Colo., in 1937, the award-winning firm has evolved from home building and remodeling into a multibillion-dollar employee-owned firm, delivering landmark buildings both nationally and internationally.  

Champion Electric Inc. of Riverside, Calif., member of ABC’s Southern California 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.  

Jerry Daniels of Joe Daniels Construction has reached the Chairman’s Level of the Beam Club for recruiting more than 100 new members, and Gerry Krebsbach of K-W Electric Inc., Jay Zahn of R & R Insurance and Tom Altmann of Altmann Construction Co. Inc. have reached the Presidential Level of the Beam Club for recruiting more than 50 new members.

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.

On Jan. 9, ABC sent a letter to Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) to encourage the swift confirmation of Betsy DeVos as the next United States Secretary of Education.

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.

ABC sent letters to members of congress last week urging them to pass legislation that would bring much-needed regulatory relief to contractors. The ABC supported legislation included Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2017 (HR 26) and the Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2017 (HR 21) both of which passed the U.S. the week of Jan. 2 Additionally the House of Representatives Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (HR 5) is expected to pass the House this week.

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.

ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman sent President-elect Trump a letter urging him to guarantee government neutrality in federal construction contracting on January 4. The letter urged President-elect Trump to rescind President Obama’s Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to require project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal contracts to build projects of $25 million or more on a case-by-case basis, and replace it with the executive orders 13202 and 13208, which prohibit PLAs from being required on federal and federally assisted construction projects.