TEST Paragraph
Politics & Policy
ABC’s September Regulatory Roundup—Learn About the Latest Developments Affecting the Construction Industry
ABC Disappointed in NLRB’s Cemex Decision
NLRB Revives Controversial 2014 ‘Ambush’ Election Rule; ABC Opposes Again
Safety
Build Health and Safety Engagement Through Leadership Commitment and Metrics Tied to Leading Indicators
Is Your PPE and Mobile Equipment as Safe as You Think It Is?
President Biden Announces Heat Safety Actions, Including DOL Hazard Alert
Events/Products/Programs
Nearly 350 ABC Leaders Gather in Washington for Annual Legislative Conference
ABC Members Rank Among ENR’s Top 400 Contractors
Trades Day: Industry Outreach Opportunity With Meaning
State/Local News
Ed Capodanno Honored by Delaware State Legislature
Election Update: ABC Staff and Members Elected in 2022
California Targets Workplace Cannabis Testing
Awards
Graham Roofing Earns the AQC Credential in September
ABC's Construction Executive Magazine Wins Silver in Publishing Competition
Legislation
ABC-Supported Legislation To Overturn the Northern Long-Eared Bat’s Endangered Species Listing Heads to President Biden’s Desk
ABC Advocates for Solutions to Workforce Shortage at U.S. House Committee Roundtable
Smucker Introduces the ABC-Supported Main Street Tax Certainty Act
Regulations
OSHA Announces Silica-Focused Inspection Initiative in the Engineered Stone Fabrication and Installation Industries
Take the Survey: Input Needed by Oct. 2 on President Biden’s IRA Mandates
Take the Survey: ABC Needs Your Input on President Biden’s IRA Mandates by Oct. 2
Workforce Development
Register Now for ABC’s Construction Inclusion Week Webinar Series
DOL High Road Workforce Development Program Map Snubs Nonunion Programs
LISTEN: How to Design an Effective Technology Adoption Strategy
Associated Builders and Contractors of West Virginia (ABCWV) voiced its concerns over the newly presented methodology for the calculation of prevailing wage rates in West Virginia after Workforce West Virginia released a summary of its report on June 1. The report, a product of prevailing wage reform legislation (S.B. 361) signed March 12 by West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D), illustrates how new methodology will determine forthcoming prevailing wage rates on state-funded public improvements. However, because Workforce West Virginia failed to publish its new prevailing wage calculations by the July 1 deadline because lawmakers complained the methodology ran afoul of legislative intent, the state is currently without a prevailing wage for state-funded projects. Workforce West Virginia presented the newly created methodology to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on June 8. The committee and lawmakers raised concerns that the implementation of this methodology was developed and executed in a manner inconsistent with the intent of the law itself. Lawmakers voted down a motion to extend the deadline to publish the new prevailing rate of wages to September 30 and extended their efforts by adding an internal review of how the methodology was created along with providing formal correspondence expressing lawmakers’ concerns that Workforce West Virginia is not complying with the statute. “ABCWV is disappointed in Workforce West Virginia’s omission of several integral components that were added to the new prevailing wage methodology to produce an accurate market wage rate,” said ABCWV President Bryan Hoylman in a June 9 statement. “The bill carefully crafted by the legislature during this year’s legislative session required the inclusion of essential U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data and removed a government mandated fringe benefit from the prevailing wage methodology in order to calculate a true prevailing wage in West Virginia. “Unfortunately, Workforce West Virginia has not included valuable BLS data and kept a mandated fringe benefit as a part of the calculation, contrary to the intent of the law. By directly ignoring key portions of the carefully balanced new methodology, Workforce West Virginia is threatening the hard work of the legislature and outside stakeholders, including ABCWV, in developing methodology to establish a true prevailing wage.” ABC WV also stated that although they were pleased with the outcome of the committee meeting, they recognize that there is significant work yet to be done and will weigh every available option available to ensure that government doesn’t get in the way of this historic reform. West Virginia is one of 32 states with a prevailing wage law in place for contractors who do business with the state. Indiana fully repealed its prevailing wage law earlier this year and several other states recently enacted or are currently considering significant reform or repeal to their existing prevailing wage law.