White House taps ABC, AGC, Big Labor officials for Economic Revival Group

Sources: White House Briefing Room; CP staff

President Donald Trump has enlisted Associated General Contractors of America CEO Stephen Sandherr and Associated Builders & Contractors CEO Michael Bellaman to participate in Construction/Labor/Workforce, one of 16 Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups informing federal, state or local actions as pandemic response measures ease. Joining them are Bechtel Corp. CEO Brendan Bechtel and Flour Corp. CEO Carlos Hernandez, plus AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka; International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ Jim Hoffa; International Union of Operating Engineers’ Jim Callahan; Laborers’ International Union of North America’s Terry O’Sullivan; and, North America’s Building Trades Union’s Sean McGarvey.

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Contractors report project delays, cancellations, supply disruptions

Source: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C. 

Of the nearly 1,650 contractor participants in an online survey gauging market activity amid federal, state and local pandemic response measures, 39 percent note that owners have halted or canceled current construction projects, while 23 percent cite material, part or equipment shortages, including respirators and other protective gear. 

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Producer, contractor coalitions pursue work shutdown exemptions

Sources: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, Alexandria, Va.; Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Major construction material and product groups, along with contractor counterparts, have implored federal, state and local officials to exempt building and nonbuilding work from business shutdowns as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus spread. 

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Union-endorsed apprenticeship program proposal rattles AGC, ABC

Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

proposal paving the way for associations to play stepped up roles in industry-recognized apprenticeship program (IRAP) development and oversight is drawing criticism from the two leading contractor groups due to its exclusion of construction. 

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AGC takes inaugural role in Construction Safety Week

CC041919 Week

Sources: Construction Industry Safety Initiative and Incident & Injury Free Executive Forum; CP staff

The Associated General Contractors of America is the first signature sponsor of Construction Safety Week. The May 6-10 event will see AGC members and peers across the U.S. and Canada stage site standdowns and related activities to promote best safety practices throughout the project delivery cycle. 

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AGC: Construction headcount continues climb from lofty base

Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Construction employment increased by 52,000 in January and 338,000, or 4.7 percent, over the past year, while the latest reading on project spending showed moderate increases in all major public and private categories, according to an AGC analysis of federal government data. 

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Developer of rebar-tying robot takes top AGC-Autodesk award

Source: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.

Saxonburg, Pa.-based Brayman Construction and its affiliate, Advanced Construction Robotics, took first place and a $10,000 prize in the inaugural AGC-Autodesk Innovation Awards program for an autonomous rebar-tying robot geared to bridge construction. The Tybot device ties continuously day or night, and takes over after construction crews carry, place and frame-in 10 percent of deck rebar.

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AGC: Materials cost increases outpace contractor bid adjustments

Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Prices for goods and services used in construction climbed 6.2 percent over the past year, intensifying a cost squeeze on contractors coping with widespread labor shortages, according to an AGC analysis of new Labor Department data, including Producer Price Index (PPI) figures tracking a August 2017–August 2018 trajectory.  

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AGC confirms industry headcount at 10-year high

Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Construction employment increased by 13,000 in June and 282,000 over the past year, bringing the total industry payroll to 7.22 million—its highest level since May 2008. “The construction industry continues to add workers faster than the economy as a whole, and is paying premium wages to attract and retain [them],” affirms AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson. “Employment gains are occurring in both residential and nonresidential construction. However, the industry is having to rely more on workers without construction experience, as the pool of unemployed construction workers has nearly evaporated.”

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Contractors paint dire jobs, cost consequences in steel, aluminum tariff aftermath

Sources: Associated General Contractors of America, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

Responding to President Donald Trump’s March 8 order applying respective 25 percent and 10 percent tariffs to steel and aluminum imports from countries outside the NAFTA region, AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr noted: “These tariffs will cause significant harm to the nation’s construction industry, put tens of thousands of high-paying construction jobs at risk, undermine the President’s proposed infrastructure initiative and potentially dampen demand for new construction.

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