Newsline

On Oct. 30, the National Labor Relations Board announced an extension of the comment period on its proposed rule that would set a new standard for determining joint-employer liability under the National Labor Relations Act. The deadline for submitting comments has been extended from Nov. 13 to Dec. 13, 2018.

ABC and Construction Executive joined more than 2,300 attendees at Viewpoint’s Collaborate 2018 User Conference, held Oct. 16-18 in Portland, Oregon, where the construction management software company provided three days of in-depth educational sessions and unveiled new software innovations to help construction companies transform their operations, lower risk, gain efficiencies and improve productivity. 

Estimated September construction unemployment rates fell nationally and in 30 states on a year-over-year basis, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released by ABC. The September 2018 not seasonally adjusted national construction unemployment rate fell 0.6 percent from a year ago to 4.1 percent.

On Oct. 29, ABC announced that Timothy Mongeau has been appointed as director of workforce development. With more than 15 years of experience designing and implementing construction education programs, Mongeau will spearhead ABC’s workforce development strategies and initiatives at the state and local level. Mongeau will also be tasked with creating new opportunities to increase the pipeline of skilled construction professionals and support workforce public policy efforts.

The U.S. economy expanded at a 3.5 percent annualized rate during the third quarter of 2018, according to an ABC analysis of U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data. This represents the first time there have been two consecutive quarters of 3 percent-plus growth since the beginning of 2015.

Last week, ABC government affairs staff traveled to the Grand Canyon state to visit members of the Arizona Builders Alliance. They visited 140 ABA member companies in the Tucson and Phoenix areas, delivering important “get-out-the-vote” information and industry-specific election materials, including the ABC Votes and We Build America websites. 

On Oct. 23, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed rule that would allow small and mid-sized businesses to band together and offer 401(k) plans to their employees through Association Retirement Plans.

On Oct. 23, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services jointly issued a proposed rule, Health Reimbursement Arrangements and Other Account-Based Group Health Plans, that seeks to expand the availability of affordable health insurance for hardworking Americans by increasing the usability of health reimbursement arrangements.

On Oct. 17, the Trump Administration released its Fall 2018 Regulatory Plan and Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The agenda lists upcoming rulemakings and other regulatory actions from each agency that the administration expects to publish through the end of the year and in 2019.

Construction Executive magazine won three honorable mentions in the 2018 Folio: Eddie Awards for association/nonprofit newsletter, website and profile/Q&A. CE This Week, ConstructionExec.com and Stepping Up to Serve, featuring 2018 ABC National Chair George Nash, brought the Construction Executive tally of editorial awards nearly 30 since its first issue in 2003.

ABC members and chapters have a new tool to engage college students in construction-related degree programs nationwide. A new video shows how the ABC National Student Chapter Network gives faculty members and college students real-world information and experience through membership meetings, guest speakers, internships, community service projects, fundraisers, career fairs, jobsite tours and more.

Project labor agreements are special interest schemes that end open, fair and competitive bidding on public works projects. PLAs drive up the cost of construction by reducing competition and effectively excluding merit shop contractors and their skilled employees from building projects paid for by their own tax dollars. Check out ABC’s new video below to learn more about PLAs. 

If you’ve recently been in an airport or watched either the Masters Tournament or the World Series, you’ve probably heard the terms cloud computing, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things. But what do these terms imply for someone working in the construction industry? ABC President and CEO Mike Bellaman invites ABC members to educate themselves about the digital builder of the future by checking out a new book, Precision Construction, available for Kindle today, with print and audiobook versions due out shortly. Sign up 

ABC was one of 17 member organizations of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention that met recently in Washington, D.C., to collaborate on how to equip companies to better address mental health issues and reduce the risk of suicide in the construction industry. Members of the Alliance, which was classified as a 501(c)(3) public charity this summer, formed governance, fundraising, education and marketing task forces during a strategic planning session during National Suicide Prevention Month.

On Oct. 11, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a memorandum clarifying its position on workplace safety incentive programs and post-incident drug testing included in the 2016 final rule, Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses (also known as the Electronic Injury Reporting and Anti-Retaliation final rule), issued under the Obama administration.  

On Oct. 10, the U.S. Senate approved the America’s Water Infrastructure Act, a waterways infrastructure bill that requires reauthorization every two years, with a bipartisan 99-1 vote. The House passed the bill earlier this year, and the president is expected to sign it into law this week. The legislation authorizes at least $9 billion for critical water infrastructure projects across America, including flood protection and drinking water improvement projects.

On Oct. 9, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced a six-month extension to its overtime and minimum wage compliance initiative, the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program. According to a WHD news release, the PAID program helps workers receive more back wages due in an expedited manner, without having to wait for lengthy investigations to conclude or court cases to resolve.

Prices for inputs to construction rose 0.3 percent in September and are 7.4 percent higher than a year ago, according to an ABC analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Overall prices for nonresidential construction inputs rose 0.4 percent, reversing last month’s downward trend. Among individual subcategories, softwood lumber prices are down 0.4 percent, yet are up 5.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. Crude petroleum and natural gas prices are both up on a monthly basis, 8.7 and 1.1 percent, respectively. 

October is Careers in Construction Month, which creates the perfect opportunity to highlight the many career paths the construction industry provides for people with a variety of experience, education and expertise. And especially given the estimated 500,000 open construction positions in the United States right now, workforce development and filling the skills gap remains a key priority for ABC and its members.

Start your journey to world-class safety today with ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process. STEP is a safety benchmarking and improvement tool that dramatically improves safety performance among construction industry participants, regardless of company size or type of work. Every ABC member wants to send its workers home safely every night. 

On Oct. 3, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s plan to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua and Sudan. This preliminary injunction will allow the merits of the case in Ramos v. Nielsen to be considered—whether these immigrants face irreparable harm if the designation is eliminated. Some of these immigrants have spent decades in the United States under the TPS designation.

FindContractors.com is an excellent tool to help members find and do business with other members. Members can search for an ABC contractor, supplier or other construction professional by name, chapter, location, sales volume or type of construction. Plus, now members are recognized for earning an Excellence in Construction® Award within the last three years. Learn more about EIC at abc.org/eic.

The U.S. construction industry added 23,000 net new positions in September, according to an ABC analysis of data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.During the last 12 months, the industry has added 315,000 net new jobs, an increase of 4.5 percent. Nonresidential construction employment expanded by 18,600 net jobs on a monthly basis, while the residential sector added just 4,400 net positions.Though construction unemployment rose to 4.1 percent in September, it remains low by historical standards. National unemployment dropped to 3.7 percent across all industries, the lowest rate since December 1969.

ABC is pleased to announce the launch of a WeBuildAmerica.com, a brand-new, mobile-friendly website focused on the fast-approaching November elections. The site features helpful videos and information on the importance of voting, key issues in this election cycle, how to register to vote and personalized voter guides. Members can easily customize the WeBuildAmerica.com website to include a company logo as well as personalize the website experience. Encourage your colleagues and employees to visit the site to get up to speed before Election Day.

On Sept. 28, ABC submitted comments to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on its recent proposal to remove certain provisions of the 2016 Electronic Injury Reporting and Anti-Retaliation final rule, officially titled Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses. ABC also commented as a member of the Coalition for Workplace Safety.