Confirming the Associated Builders & Contractors’ endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, ABC CEO Michael Bellaman and 2024 Chair of the ABC National Board of Directors Buddy Henley (Henley Construction Co. Inc.) note in a letter to his campaign: “After almost four years of anti-competitive, inflationary and divisive policies undermining taxpayer investments in America’s infrastructure, ABC is looking forward…
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Justices draw regulator red line
The Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision should relieve concrete, construction and trucking interests of some uncertainties arising from federal agency rules or shield them when challenging such measures in federal courts. Loper plaintiffs questioned a Department of Commerce rule that hinged on authority indicated in Chevron U.S.A Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Counsel. That 1984 high court…
Read MoreSurvey: White House rule discourages construction apprenticeship participation
An Associated Builders & Contractors survey finds the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) controversial, 180,000-plus word proposed rule overhauling regulations related to government-registered apprenticeship programs (GRAPs) will discourage apprentices, contractors and ABC chapter apprenticeship program providers from participating in the Department-backed system. “Initial feedback on changes to apprenticeship regulations has been overwhelmingly negative and these survey results make it clear…
Read MoreABC frowns on proposal to open OSHA inspections to third-party reps
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff The Associated Builders and Contractors has outlined opposition to a Department of Labor-proposed rule, Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process, that would allow an employee to choose a third-party individual, such as an outside union representative, to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector in nonunion facility visits.
Read MoreDavis-Bacon updates compound paperwork requirements, prevailing wage spikes
Sources: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff Capping a 28-month rulemaking process, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a final rule, Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations, which revises prevailing wage calculations and increases paperwork for contractors on federal and federally assisted construction projects.
Read MoreLabor Department expands Form 300 data submission requirements
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor; CP staff Under “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses,” a final rule effective January 2024, the Labor Department is requiring certain employers in designated high-hazard industries to electronically submit injury and illness information to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Establishments with 100 or more employees in cement, concrete, construction and other industries deemed…
Read MoreContractor Hardon elevates site manager workspaces, crew productivity
SkyPodz LLC, a sister business of Buford, Ga. concrete contractor Hardon Inc., has developed a mobile office for high-rise construction. A lightweight, temporary structure hoisted by crane and mounted to any floor slab, the SkyPod allows site managers and superintendents to remain closer to their work. It provides an enclosed office, storage, and power source for any trade, and saves…
Read MoreConcrete, plumbing fixtures lead in construction input price stability
Sources: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff New U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data confirms rampant inflation (> 50 percent) levels among eight of 11 Nonresidential Construction input subcategories. An Associated Builders & Contractors analysis finds segment prices up 21.9 percent year over year through May, and 44.4 percent since February 2020. Plumbing Fixtures and…
Read MoreABC, Safety Coalition caution OSHA on vaccination and testing standard
Source: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C. In a letter to Occupational Safety and Health Administration Acting Assistant Secretary James Frederick, the Construction Industry Safety Coalition outlined concerns related to the agency’s forthcoming Covid-19 vaccination and testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), which will apply to employers with payrolls of 100 or more per the White House’s Path Out of the…
Read MoreLead economist tracks pandemic’s waning effects on construction
Sources: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.; CP staff An Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the construction industry added 110,000 jobs in March, bringing to 931,000 the number gained since April 2020, or nearly 84 percent of those jobs lost during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. The construction unemployment rate…
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