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David Allen Co. of Raleigh, North Carolina, a member of ABC’s Carolinas and Central Florida chapters, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor status by ABC.

ABC’s Top Performers lists—the only rankings of their kind—recognize member contractors’ achievements in safety, quality, diversity, project excellence and special designations, ranked by work hours. You must achieve STEP Gold or higher and earn the Accredited Quality Contractor designation to qualify—applications are due by Oct. 30 for consideration in the rankings.

On Aug. 25, ABC, the National Association of Home Builders and the Mason Contractors Association of America filed a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to effectively narrow the scope of the beryllium final rule issued at the end of the Obama administration.

On Aug. 24, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-5, which clarifies employers’ obligations to track the hours of compensable work of employees who are teleworking. The guidance responds both to the needs created by new telework or remote work arrangements that arose in response to the coronavirus and to other telework or remote work arrangements

The Construction Industry Safety Coalition  released an updated COVID-19 Prevention, Preparedness and Response Plan for Construction on Aug. 18. ABC, a member of the CISC Steering Committee, encourages its members to review the plan, which includes the latest protective measures and guidance on keeping workers safe on jobsites.

Virginia has promulgated an Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 that applies to all employers performing work in the commonwealth. The rule took effect July 27, and employers are required to train workers under these requirements by Aug. 26 and have a response plan by Sept. 25.

The U.S. Department of Labor issued two notices in July seeking feedback on its regulations implementing the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and other issues concerning paid leave.

On Aug. 10, Marvin Kaplan (R) and Lauren McFerran (D) were sworn in for their second terms on the National Labor Relations Board. ABC supported Kaplan’s nomination to serve a second term and sent a letter to Senate leadership encouraging his confirmation.

On Aug. 12, ABC joined a coalition of business organizations in a letter to the conferees of the National Defense Authorization Act opposing a House-passed provision that would overhaul anti-money laundering regulations, including a requirement that corporations report ownership information to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

On Thursday, Aug. 27, ABC will continue its Election Briefing Series with an update from special guests at the Republican State Leadership Committee. It will be followed up with a Mid-America and Midwest regional update on Sept. 10.

Join ABC business partner GM on Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. for an exclusive GM Fleet event. Be among the first to hear about new products and services. Plus, get one-of-a-kind personalized opportunities that will help your business make the right decisions for your fleet. Add this event to your calendar today!

In lieu of the failed negotiations over additional relief funding from Congress, President Trump signed executive orders to provide expanded unemployment benefits, a temporary payroll tax deferral, eviction protection and student-loan relief.

ABC reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator declined to 7.8 months in July, a decrease of 0.3 months from the June reading, according to an ABC member survey conducted from July 20 to Aug. 5. Backlog is a full month lower than in July 2019.

You are invited to an exclusive South Central region election update on Thursday, Aug. 13, from 3-3:30 p.m. EDT. ABC National staff will be joined by Will McAdams, president of ABC Texas. This is an update you will not want to miss. Register today!

On this week’s episode of “The Bottom Line with ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu,” Anirban provides an update on nonresidential construction spending in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Aug. 3, an Obama-appointed federal judge in New York nullified key sections of the U.S. Department of Labor’s rules governing paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

On July 29, the National Labor Relations Board issued a proposed rule titled Representation-Case Procedures: Voter List Contact Information; Absentee Ballots for Employees on Military Leave, which proposes two amendments to the representation election regulations under the National Labor Relations Act.