Newsline

The Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulatory agenda, released Nov. 27, included updated timeframes for proposed rulemakings related to independent contractors and apprenticeship. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) decreased the optional standard mileage rates to use for 2014 in computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business by half-a-cent.

During its Nov. 5 meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., the ABC Board of Directors elected Dan Brodbeck of Compass Partners LLC in Brentwood, Tenn., to serve as the association's 2014 national chairman. Phil Hoppman of Big D Metalworks in Dallas, Texas, was elected to serve as ABC’s 2014 chairman-elect.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), along with several other trade associations, Dec. 18 sent a letter expressing serious concern over the White House’s nominee to lead DOL’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD), David Weil. Weil’s advocacy positions and lack of relevant job experience were cited as evidence that he would be unable to impartially enforce critical federal wage and hour laws governing the workplace.

Members of the public can create an account with the International Code Council (ICC) and submit proposals for changes to the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) until Jan. 10. Any proposal submitted will be posted online by March 2014 to be reviewed by the public and heard by two technical committees in open hearings. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) December 12 released the Spanish version of their ladder safety smartphone app which is designed to improve the safety of extension ladders by using visual and audio signals to make it easier for workers to check the angle of the ladder and offers useful tips for using extension ladders safely. When a user’s phone is set to Spanish language, the Spanish version of the app will install when downloaded.

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) commended a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California seeking declarative and injunctive relief against an unnecessary and discriminatory new statute (S.B. 54) recently enacted in the California Legislature. SB 54 is special interest legislation that would force private refineries in California to award construction and maintenance work predominately to contractors who sign contracts with Building Trades unions.  

With 2014 just around the corner, ABC is providing an overview of several new provisions included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that are scheduled to become effective in the new year. Additional information about PPACA, including reference guides and webinars, may be found in ABC’s health care employer toolkit.  

Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has added Metro Washington Chapter member Jim Anglemyer of WCS Construction, LLC, Washington, D.C., to the Beam Club Presidential Level, which recognizes ABC’s top membership recruiters.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) are soliciting comments from the construction community about the potential use of a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on federal construction projects in six states including North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, Maryland, Kentucky and Texas.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Dec. 9 agreed to dismiss its appeal of a court ruling invalidating its controversial “ambush” election rule, which would have drastically reduced the amount of time between when a union files a representation petition and an election takes place.

In August 2013, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued an affirmative action rule related to hiring disabled workers. In November, ABC filed an injunction against the rule. Below are a set of frequently asked questions on both OFCCP’s rule and ABC’s challenge to that rule.

ABC members have the chance to win $10,000 when they apply for the FedEx Advantage discount program. Through ABC’s business partner program, members can energize their business and get the opportunity to win dozens of prizes. 

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Nov. 27 regulatory agenda includes items related to the Clean Water Act, lead paint programs and post-construction stormwater and stormwater ELG, among other items.

ABC Nov. 27 praised the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for upholding Michigan’s 2011 law that prohibits government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on construction projects paid for by Michigan taxpayers. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) are soliciting comments from the construction community about the potential use of a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) on federal construction projects in Texas and Maryland.

In its regulatory agenda released Nov. 27, the Department of Labor (DOL) listed a date of March 2014 to release its “persuader” final rule , which severely narrows long-standing reporting exemptions for employers and labor relations experts and redefines “advice.”   If the rule is finalized, it will greatly expand the circumstances in which third party advice, which employers use to educate their employees about collective bargaining, would have to be reported by both the employer and the third party. Third parties include attorneys and association staff. As the proposal is currently written, the disclosure requirements also inclu

As a part of the Affordable Coverage Project, ABC and other business groups responded to final rules issued by the IRS on the new burdensome health insurance tax beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, calling on Congress to protect employers and consumers from the increased health coverage costs.

The second-annual National Conference for Public-Private Partnerships (P3C 2014), Feb. 24-25 in Dallas, Texas, will host hundreds of developers, public-planners and A/C/E experts from across the country as they learn more on the trends and opportunities available among cities, states and local agencies.

The NCPPP and Association of Defense Communities are holding a Federal Energy workshop Dec. 10-11 in Arlington, Va., focusing on the use of public-private partnerships (P3s) and their role in federal government energy program objectives.

According to OSHA’s latest semiannual regulatory agenda, released Nov. 27, the agency plans to issue a final rule on confined spaces and a notice of proposed rulemaking on injury and illness prevention programs (I2P2) in 2014. The regulatory agenda lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year; however, OSHA is not required to adhere to the timeline.

ABC contractor members now can take advantage of exclusive BIM training and design solutions that will make them more productive, efficient and profitable. The training is part of a larger effort known as Project Virtual. 

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Nov. 27 announced that online enrollment for small businesses in the federally-facilitated Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace will be delayed one year until November 2014.