Newsline

ABC joined a coalition of construction and business associations urging President Trump to eliminate government-mandated project labor agreements and allow for the vast majority of qualified contractors and their skilled employees to compete for federal and federally assisted taxpayer-funded construction projects.

On March 11, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by the Arizona State Building and Construction Trades Council that aimed to block enforcement of parts of a pro-taxpayer Arizona law restricting government-mandated project labor agreements.

ABC sent a letter of support to Congress urging passage of the Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act (H.R. 1740) introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.). The bill would create a new visa program for non-farm, temporary foreign workers and includes important protections for employers and employees, ensuring that jobs remain available for hardworking Americans.

From interviews to editorials and many articles in between, Women in Construction Week, March 3-9,  showcased the voices of women from all areas of the construction industry. 

Following the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s Jan. 11 decision to strike down the state Department of Transportation’s project labor agreement mandate for the Markley Street reconstruction project, PennDOT withdrew their appeal of the decision on March 7.

On March 8, H.R. 1, the For the People Act, passed the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives by a party line vote of 234-193. ABC sent a letter in opposition to the legislation, arguing that it is an attack on free speech and would cripple the business structure of nonprofit associations such as ABC. 

On March 8, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced the launch of the new Section 503 Focused Review Landing Page, which is intended to provide contractors with helpful information and assistance in implementing best practices and increasing the employment of individuals with disabilities.

On March 7, the U.S. Department of Labor unveiled its long-awaited proposal to update and revise the “white collar” overtime exemption regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which DOL estimates will make more than one million new workers eligible for overtime pay.

ABC is hosting the upcoming webinar, “Understanding the Impact of OFCCP’s Recent Policy Changes on Federal Contractors” at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 19. Lance Gibbons, Shareholder at Littler Mendelson P.C., will lead the webinar and discuss recent activity at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and what federal contractors need to know.

On Feb. 28, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Andrew Wheeler as administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by a vote of 52 to 47. ABC sent a letter to senators in support of Wheeler’s confirmation based on his work as the acting administrator of the EPA to promote an effective environmental permitting process for construction projects, his proposal of a new Waters of the United States rule and his efforts to repeal and replace the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan with the Affordable Clean Energy Plan.

ABC’s vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs did a radio tour last week during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Speaking with The Epoch Times from the convention floor, he discussed the advantages of a career in the construction trades. Brubeck also discussed project labor agreements and prevailing wage issues in four additional interviews.

On Feb. 28, ABC, as a member of the Partnership for Employer-sponsored Coverage, sent a letter to Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, providing recommendations on how to address America’s rising health care costs.

Are you using fair, best-practice standard contracts to achieve better project results? Contracts from ABC business partner ConsensusDocs are written and supported by 40 prominent organizations that collectively represent more than 300,000 individuals and companies.

ABC has added Oklahoma Chapter member Thom Bowen of Securian Advisors MidAmerica Inc. to the Beam Club Presidential level. The Beam Club was established in 1966 to recognize ABC’s top membership recruiters for their commitment to growing the association.