Newsline

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), which passed the U.S. Senate June 25 with a 95-3 vote, focuses on strengthening our nation’s approach to businesses’ hiring and training needs and increasing employment opportunities.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under President Obama’s climate action plan, issued two proposed rules that aim to cut carbon pollution from power plants. The proposed rules will administer guidelines for states to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the electricity-generating sector. The proposal aims to reduce carbon pollution from new and existing power plants by 30 percent below the 2005 emissions rate. On June 18, EPA issued one proposal for modified and reconstructed stationary sources and another on existing stationary sources.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced an interim final rule June 12 that will adjust monetary-based small business size standards to account for inflation. The rule will go into effect July 14 and the SBA is accepting comments from the public until August 11. 

The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) invites all ABC members to participate in the 2014 financial survey data collection. The confidential survey will offer CFMA a chance to compile an online tool to help compare company financials with industry standards, including a more historical perspective for trending analysis.

The Grassroots Chapter Recognition Program recognized 29 ABC Chapters for their outstanding grassroots advocacy efforts and policies enacted at the local level during the 2014 Legislative Conference on June 11 in Washington, D.C. The program recognizes chapters on one of three levels-Gold, Silver and Bronze.

On June 17, the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division issued a proposed rule to implement Executive Order 13658, which would establish a minimum wage for federal contractors. Beginning Jan. 1, 2015, the executive order will require the hourly minimum wage paid by contractors to workers performing on covered federal contracts to be $10.10 per hour. Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, the executive order allows the minimum wage to be determined annually by the Secretary of Labor. Comments on the proposal are due July 17, 2014.

The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) is offering ABC members free registration for their upcoming webinar June 24 at 3 p.m. ET, which will provide an update on the Revenue Recognition Standard recently published by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

An updated summary of employer requirements included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is available for ABC members in a reference document provided by Washington Council Ernst & Young. The document is available on the Health Care Law Employer Toolkit (login required) on ABC’s website.

After receiving a letter from ABC and 40 other leading business organizations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have extended the public comment period for the proposed “Waters of the U.S” rule from July 21, to Oct 20.

More than 400 hundred ABC members are on Capitol Hill this week advocating for important merit shop issues with their members of Congress. For those members unable to make the trip, there is still an opportunity to participate virtually by contacting their elected officials from a computer or mobile device using ABC's Action App on your iPhone or Android, or downloading the update.

In addition to providing updates on numerous OSHA rulemakings and the controversial proposal to narrow the “advice” exemption for persuaders and other labor relations advisors, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released updated timeframes for pending rules addressing apprenticeship, affirmative action and the classification of independent contractors. In addition, the agency laid out for the first time its plan to issue a new proposed rule regarding overtime eligibility.

ABC of Michigan praised the state’s legislature for passing language that will deter public universities from engaging in unionizing activities by requiring neutrality as a part of the 2014/2015 Higher Education budget recommendation which is expected to receive final legislative approval.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued a survey requesting comments from the construction industry on the potential use of a project labor agreement (PLA) for the Defense Logistic Agency Aviation Phase I project in Richmond, Va.

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) announced June 4 that ABC National’s headquarters office in Washington, D.C. is one of the first buildings to be certified under its new Green Globes for Sustainable Interiors (SI) program.

ABC of Michigan May 28 released its intention to carefully review and appeal the decision made by the Michigan Court of Appeals to reinstate Lansing’s prevailing wage ordinance. ABC of Michigan originally challenged the mandate in 2012.

President Obama is expected to sign into law H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) next week that would authorize an array of large-scale federal water infrastructure projects including port improvements, environmental restorations and more than 20 new Army Corps of Engineers projects.

On April 21, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a proposed rule that aims to clarify the definition of “waters of the U.S.” under the Clean Water Act which would significantly expand federal control of land and water resources across the nation – creating additional permitting and regulatory requirements. The public has until July 21 to submit written comments on the proposal; ABC as part of the Waters Advocacy Coalition (WAC) requested the agency grant an extension on the comment period.

STEP Platinum and Diamond recipients that would like to participate in the 2014 Construction Users Roundtable (CURT) Construction Industry Safety Excellence (CISE) awards must submit their applications to ABC by July 7.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is asking for comments from the construction industry in response to two surveys on the potential use of a project labor agreement (PLA) for projects in New York, N.Y. and Radford, Va.