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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Thursday, August 20, 2020 12:09 PM |
ABC News
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Wednesday, August 12, 2020 11:11 AM |
ABC News
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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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On July 29, ABC sent a letter to President Trump applauding him for issuing two executive orders, Regulatory Relief to Support Economic Recovery and Accelerating the Nation’s Economic Recovery from the COVID-19 Emergency by Expediting Infrastructure Investments and Other Activities, which will help to remove burdensome barriers to job creation and help the economy continue to rebound from the COVID-19 crisis.
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On July 27, ABC submitted comments to the U.S. Department of the Treasury and U.S. Small Business Administration on an interim final rule changing key provisions of the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program and its loan forgiveness and loan review procedures.
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On July 27, the Senate GOP finally released the HEALS Act, its $1 trillion coronavirus relief plan. This package is seen as a starting point for Republicans, teeing up what could be weeks of tough bipartisan negotiations with Democrats to provide much-needed relief in response to the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. ABC will continue to provide updates on these negotiations as they move forward.
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As many as 31 states and the District of Columbia now mandate the use of facial coverings in public in some form as new infections have surged across the United States in recent weeks. Some states, such as North Carolina and New Jersey, specifically mention the construction industry in their executive orders and require compliance with the order both by workers and jobsite visitors.
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On July 15, Virginia became the first state in the nation to enact an Emergency Temporary Standard to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The ETS will go into effect at the end of July.
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On July 22, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422/ H.R. 1957), which was introduced by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), by a vote of 310-107. The bill is expected to be signed into law by President Trump. Ahead of the vote, ABC sent a letter to the House in support of the legislation, urging the swift consideration and approval of the Senate-passed version of the bill.
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Since March, ABC has supported its members and chapters with an expansive array of information, guidance and advocacy to guide them through the current coronavirus pandemic.
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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published additional guidance to address the requirements and protections under several of the laws enforced by the agency as workplaces reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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ABC’s political action committee is hosting two upcoming meet and greet events featuring Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) on Tuesday, July 28, where ABC members will have the opportunity to hear a real-time legislative and political update.
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This week, Congress began working on the passage of additional COVID-19 relief for individuals and businesses. Negotiations will largely rely on the ability of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to produce a bill that both sides can agree on and that the president will sign.
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On Thursday, July 30, ABC will continue its Election Briefing Series with an update from the Republican National Committee with special guest Elliot Echols, Trump Victory national field director. It will be followed by the South Central Region update on Thursday, Aug. 13.
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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a list of frequently asked questions with tips and guidelines on various topics related to the coronavirus.
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Associated Builders and Contractors recently reported that its Construction Backlog Indicator rose to 8.1 months in June, an increase of 0.2 months from May’s reading. CBI is down approximately 8% from its June 2019 level. Every region except the Middle States experienced an increase in backlog in June compared to May, according to an ABC member survey conducted from June 20-July 1.
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On July 8, ABC National’s government affairs team delivered a presentation to a group of Republican lieutenant governors on the issues affecting the construction industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual meeting, which was part of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association’s annual conference, was attended by more than a dozen sitting lieutenant governors and candidates running for the office in 2020.
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On July 9, ABC sent a letter to House and Senate leadership in support of the Recharge and Empower Local Innovation and Entrepreneurs Fund for Main Street Act (S. 3742/H.R. 6907). The RELIEF for Main Street Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced by Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Reps. Kildee (D-Mich.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.), would provide $50 billion in direct funding to states, cities and counties to help small and minority-owned businesses.
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Friday, July 10, 2020 11:01 AM |
ABC News
July 7, 2020.
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On June 30, the Trump administration released its Spring 2020 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The agenda lists upcoming rulemakings and other regulatory actions from each agency that the administration expects to publish through the end of the year and into 2021. ABC has prepared a summary of the actions of interest to ABC members by agency.
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On July 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, on a mostly party line vote of 233 to 188, with three Republicans voting for the bill and two Democrats voting against it. The House Democrats’ infrastructure plan would spend more than $1.5 trillion on surface transportation, airport, school, housing, healthcare, energy, water and broadband infrastructure, however, it also includes numerous anti-merit shop provisions opposed by ABC.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2020 3:20 PM |
ABC News
On Monday, June 29, President Trump signed an Executive Order requiring federal agencies to revise their hiring criteria to focus on the skill set of an applicant, rather than academic credentials. The order requires federal agencies to revise and update outdated federal job qualification standards and candidate assessments, improving the quality and competency of the civil service.
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On June 30, the Senate passed legislation by unanimous consent that would extend the application period for the small business Paycheck Protection Program through Aug. 8. The application period ended on June 30, and the bill still needs to be approved by the House and signed into law by President Trump.
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Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa) signed legislation (SF 2338) that protects business owners and employees from COVID-19-related liability lawsuits. ABC of Iowa supported the bill, which protects business owners from coronavirus liability lawsuits while excepting lawsuits against individuals who recklessly or intentionally put others at risk.
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Registration for ABC’s Election Series, powered by the Free Enterprise Alliance, is now open! The series kicks off on Thursday, July 16, and will run through Election Day, with two webinars scheduled per month.
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On June 25, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a compliance directive designed to ensure uniformity in inspection and enforcement procedures when addressing respirable crystalline silica exposures in general industry, maritime and construction.
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On June 22, Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.) was joined by six other Democratic House committee chairs in a press conference releasing the Democratic Infrastructure Bill, H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act.
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On June 17, The Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422), introduced by Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), was passed in the U.S. Senate by a vote of 73-25. This bipartisan legislation would help address the $20 billion deferred maintenance backlog in the Department of the Interior, $12 billion of which is accumulated by the National Park Service, creating thousands of construction jobs in the process.
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On June 10, ABC’s Construction Executive magazine held a webinar featuring ABC chief economist Anirban Basu that focused on how the COVID-19 pandemic has rocked a nearly invincible economy, wreaking havoc on the construction industry, and how the current recession might dovetail into prospective growth in the future.
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Construction Executive has been named a regional Gold Azbee Award winner in the “best social media campaign” category for the magazine’s first annual CE Photo Contest.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a series of bills into law this week, two of which impact the state’s infrastructure and construction industry.
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Wednesday, June 10, 2020 2:38 PM |
ABC News,
Politics & Policy,
Economics,
State/Local News,
Legislation,
Workforce Development,
GA - Employment,
GA - Private-Public Partnerships,
GA-Infrastructure
On June 4, President Trump signed executive order 13927, which directs federal agencies to expedite the delivery of transportation infrastructure projects, an action ABC said will streamline permitting and facilitate infrastructure improvements while protecting the environment, health and safety.
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Advocate for small businesses and fair and open competition by joining the Free Enterprise Alliance’s Plus-none Party, a 72-hour online fundraiser benefiting the main issue advocacy arm of ABC. The party will kick off on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. EDT and will close on Wednesday, June 17 at 12 p.m. EDT. Check out the website and donate today!
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On June 8, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published its final rule on the Fluctuating Workweek Method of Computing Overtime in the Federal Register. The rule will go into effect on Aug. 7, 2020.
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This week, Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan was among the plaintiffs that won a case in the Michigan Court of Claims, which challenged parts of Gov. Whitmer’s 96th and 97th executive orders.
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