ABC 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.

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Davis-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.

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Labor 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…

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Contractor 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…

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Concrete, 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…

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ABC, 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…

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Lead 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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Arizona leads, California and Illinois lag in ABC Merit Shop survey

Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2020 Merit Shop Scorecard weighs state policies and programs that encourage workforce development, strengthen career and technical education, grow careers in construction, and promote fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction projects. Arizona tops the rankings for the first time based on its promotion of free enterprise and investment in tomorrow’s construction workforce—both high priorities for…

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Arizona leads, California and Illinois lag ABC Merit Shop state ranking

Source: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C. The Associated Builders and Contractors 2020 Merit Shop Scorecard weighs state policies and programs that encourage workforce development, strengthen career and technical education, grow careers in construction, and promote fair and open competition for taxpayer-funded construction projects. Arizona tops the rankings for the first time based on its promotion of free enterprise and…

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Associated Builders & Contractors states case for four more years of Trump

Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C., outlines member-friendly, 2017-2020 advocacy and policy measures in its endorsement of President Donald Trump for election to a second term. Members applaud his administration’s substantial deregulatory efforts, especially after eight years of uncertainty spurred by the predecessor administration’s aggressive, burdensome and litigation-prone rulemaking.

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