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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
ABC Newsline
A Notice of Funding Opportunity for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s fiscal year 2023 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant program is set to close for applications on Feb. 28.
On Feb. 16, 24 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers seeking to overturn the final rule published by the agencies on Jan. 18 that revises the definition of Waters of the United States.
On Feb. 15, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration released its final rule establishing the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program.
On Feb. 9, the Office of Management and Budget released a proposed rule to revise OMB’s Guidance for Grants and Agreements. This guidance defines the rules for federal agencies as they distribute funding through grant programs. The revisions would aid implementation of the Build America, Buy America Act provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
On Feb. 13, ABC submitted comments to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council regarding a proposed rule to amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to require certain federal contractors to disclose their greenhouse gas emissio
On Feb. 8, the ABC-led Coalition for a Democratic Workplace filed an amicus brief in a case against Starbucks that is currently before the National Labor Relations Board, condemning the NLRB general counsel’s efforts to eliminate employer speech rights in union organizing drives as well as employees’ right to secret ballots in union representation elections. On Feb. 9, the CDW and four employer organizations filed an amicus brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in a case against Tesla over facially neutral dress code policies.
On Feb. 9, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2023-1, “Telework Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act,” which provides guidance to WHD field staff on how to ensure teleworking employees are properly paid and protected under the FLSA and how to apply eligibility rules under the FMLA.
On Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it will withdraw its proposal to reconsider and revoke final approval of Arizona’s state plan for occupational safety and health. As a result, the state’s plan will remain in place.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division recently announced a series of virtual compliance seminars to provide information on prevailing wage requirements for federally funded construction and service contracts. The seminars will include video trainings with corresponding virtual question and answer sessions.
On Jan. 4, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a proposed rule that would increase certain immigration and naturalization benefit request fees charged by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. ABC is working with the H-2B Coalition to highlight the burden this proposal will place on contractors and other businesses that rely on critical visa programs to support their wo
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is promoting its Workplace Stress Safety and Health Topics page as a resource to help support workforce mental well-being. The webpage offers guidance to employers on how they can alleviate stress and shares outreach materials, including posters, with tips on how employers and workers can work t
Safety rules affect safety culture. Seeking workforce input on procedures is vital to creating that culture, as a key component to ensure safety goals are attained is workforce engagement. When developing or updating a safety program, you must ask your team for input, suggestions and feedback to ensure buy-in, understanding and adherence. Learn how to communicate both universal and situational safety rules and policies.
Recently, federal agencies have taken a number of actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry. ABC continues to track these initiatives while participating in the regulatory process to ensure that the need to protect our environment is accomplished without imposing unnecessarily costly and burdensome requirements on the construction industry.
On Feb. 2, ABC submitted comments to the National Labor Relations Board opposing its proposed rule on Representation-Case Procedures, which addresses election-blocking charges, voluntary recognition and construction industry bargaining relationships. The proposal rescinds the ABC-supported 2020 NLRB final rule, which was intended to “better protect employees’ statutory right of free choice on questions concerning representation.”
On Feb. 2, the Federal Trade Commission announced it will host a public forum examining the FTC’s proposed rule to prohibit employers from imposing noncompetes on their workers.
Planning for a successful safety program starts with setting goals, implementing proper recordkeeping procedures and ensuring documentation is correct. ABC's STEP Safety Management System provides the framework to drive improvements in construction safety programs through recordkeeping and benchmarking in 25 key components. Discover four helpful tips for submitting OSHA incident data.
In response to the Defense Industrial Base becoming the target of more frequent and complex cyberattacks from foreign and independent bad actors, the U.S. Department of Defense is expected to release new cybersecurity regulations in 2023 designed to enforce protection of sensitive federal contract information and controlled unclassified information that is shared by the DOD with
On Jan. 31, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 497, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, by a bipartisan vote of 227-203. ABC supported the legislation, which would eliminate the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate on health care workers and repeal the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services health care staff vaccination rule that continues to affect ABC members who perform construction work at health care facilities. ABC provided a statement in support of the bill ahead of passage.
The Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023, or REINS Act, was recently reintroduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.). The bill, which would require every new “major rule” proposed by federal agencies to be approved by both the House and U.S. Senate before going into effect, currently has 179 Republican co-sponsors.