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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
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
Take the Survey: ABC Needs Your Input on President Biden’s IRA Mandates by Oct. 2
Biden Administration’s Inflationary PLA Mandate Policy Nears Release
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
Construction Inclusion Week takes place every October and is an invitation to the construction workforce to unite to advance a sense of belonging for all. ABC has planned four webinars for Oct. 16-20, 2023, with industry professionals and community leaders who are excited to share their knowledge and experience—and help you improve inclusivity in your personal and professional life.
On July 13, 2023, the U.S Department of Labor launched its “High Road to the Middle Class” map, highlighting existing workforce development programs that meet certain criteria to be designated by the DOL as “high road training programs.”
Matt Abeles, ABC vice president of construction technology and innovation, sits down with Autodesk University host Eric Thomas to talk about the ABC Tech Alliance and how it is revolutionizing the construction industry, making everyone safer along the way.
ABC has created a new interactive map to help connect developers, contractors, future apprentices and other stakeholders with more than 300 government-registered apprenticeship programs in over 20 different trades offered by ABC chapters.
ABC has commissioned management consulting firm FMI to conduct the fifth annual survey to quantify the current investment and workforce development efforts of member contractors. It is vital that each member contractor complete the survey.
This year marks three decades of the Accredited Quality Contractors program, and 10 ABC members have participated in the program for all 30 years of its existence.
On Sept. 29, the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a hearing, “Investing in our Nation’s Transportation Infrastructure and Workers: Why it Matters,” which covered the impacts of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
ABC’s National Craft Championships won the
Associated Builders and Contractors responded to the Biden Administration’s launch of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Initiative, saying that while raising awareness about apprenticeship is commendable, the promotion of only government-registered apprenticeships is not.
ACE Mentor Program of America is offering a chance to do just that with their Trades Day events. Trades Day is meant to excite and introduce students to a variety of construction and building trades by giving them access to real-life, hands-on, interactive trade stations. The purpose of Trades Day is to introduce students to trades to expose them to the entire industry, not just a part of it.
Through its Build Your Future initiative, NCCER is expanding its career exploration tool, CareerStarter, to provide direct connections between entry-level job seekers, local training programs and employers.
ABC opposes Democrats’ partisan reconciliation package, which would raise taxes in an economy pointed toward recession, exacerbate inflation and cost American jobs. New, restrictive labor policies included in the most recent proposal make the package even more damaging.
The U.S. Department of Labor announced on July 12 the selection of the initial cohort of
ABC highlighted its achievements in recruiting diverse audiences to careers in construction nationwide and outlined goals championing inclusion, diversity and equity in a letter to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for a May 17 hearing on race, sex and national origin discrimination in construction.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act delivers $550 billion of funding to improve our nation’s infrastructure, and the construction industry stands ready to deliver on the law’s promised revitalization of America’s roads, schools, bridges, utilities, and transportation systems.
ABC sent out an action alert for ABC members to urge their members of Congress to remove unnecessary, job-killing provisions in the US Innovation and Competition Act/America COMPETES Act bills.
On April 27, ABC sent a letter to a congressional subcommittee warning of the negative impacts of imposing government-mandated project labor agreements on infrastructure spending.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House and Senate established a conference committee to continue debate on the House-passed H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, and the Senate-passed S. 1260, the United States Innovation and Competition Act. Both bills contain troubling, restrictive labor policies that would dilute the effectiveness of the legislation and limit opportunities for much of the construction industry to participate in new programs authorized under these bills
The ABC Workforce Development Management System was created to evaluate such programs and validate what each organization is already doing or identify areas for enhancement. It is a no-cost, easy-to-use assessment designed to assist users with a self-evaluation of their workforce development program, using 11 key components of world-class programs.
On March 30, ABC sent a letter to a Congressional subcommittee cautioning that more regulations and less worker freedom, combined with the
ABC celebrated Women in Construction Week, March 6-12, to raise awareness of the growing role of women in the construction industry and encourage women to consider a career in construction. ABC demonstrated the success of women in the industry through social media posts and letters to the editor published in a number of media outlets.
On March 7, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., wrote letters to the White House in opposition to President Biden’s executive order 14063 requiring federal construction contracts of $35 million or more to be subjected to project labor agreements.
On March 7, U.S. Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced legislation that would allow federal recognition of industry and market-driven apprenticeship programs. The Training America’s Workforce Act would allow third-party entities approved by the U.S. Department of Labor to recognize and perform oversight over apprenticeship programs developed by the private sector and other organizations.
On Feb. 23, ABC and a coalition of 19 associations and organizations representing the construction industry and business community sent Congress a letter of support for the Fair and Open Competition Act (S. 403/
On Dec. 15, the House and Senate passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, following negotiations to ensure passage of the bill before the end of the year. Notably, the NDAA agreement removed several harmful labor provisions opposed by ABC from the previous version of the bill passed only in the House.