Associated Builders & Contractors – Page 4

Leading construction economist assesses slowing private, nonresidential work

October 7, 2016 Concrete News

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

Nonresidential construction fell for a second consecutive month. An ABC analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data shows seasonally adjusted, annualized spending of $687 billion in August, 1.1 percent and 1.3 percent lower than prior month and August 2015 levels, respectively. Four of the five largest nonresidential subsectors—power, highway and street, commercial and manufacturing—combined to fall 2.2 percent on a monthly basis in August 2016.

Top forecasters confirm private sectors’ growth prospects

September 12, 2016 Concrete News

The Associated Builders & Contractors, American Institute of Architects and National Association of Home Builders chief economists assembled in Washington, D.C., for a mid-year market forecast, outlining stable to strong residential and commercial project activity through 2017.

Lead construction economists confirm private sectors’ near-term growth prospects

August 16, 2016 Concrete News

Source: Associated Builders and Contractors, Washington, D.C.

Appellate Court rejects challenge to union-tailored ‘ambush’ election rule

August 1, 2016 Concrete News

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision rejecting an Associated Builders & Contractors challenge to the National Labor Relations Board’s controversial “ambush” election final rule. ABC General Counsel Maury Baskin of Littler Mendelson P.C. in Washington, D.C., argued the case on behalf of ABC of Texas, the Central Texas Chapter of ABC, and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Texas earlier this year in New Orleans.

Incident reduction secondary in rewrite of OSHA reporting, anti-retaliation rules

July 25, 2016 Don Marsh

By Don Marsh

An Associated Builders & Contractors-led lawsuit filed last month adds perspective to the curious Occupational Safety and Health Administration case noted here in April, where United States Steel Corp. found itself on the defensive for a zero tolerance policy on delayed workplace injury reporting. The ABC action spotlights anti-retaliation measures the agency applied to the Pittsburgh-based steelmaker.

ABC leads coalition suing agency over union-biased ‘persuader’ rule

May 11, 2016 Concrete News

A lawsuit Associated Builders & Contractors and other national or state groups have filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas challenges the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final “persuader rule.” Officially titled Interpretation of the “Advice” Exemption, it revises the definition of what activities constitute “advice” and expands circumstances under which public reporting is required per the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959.

Construction interests compound court challenges to OSHA silica rule

May 10, 2016 Concrete News

Associated Builders & Contractors, Associated General Contractors of America American Road & Transportation Builders Association and four peer groups plan to join eight state affiliates petitioning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit for review of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s final rule on crystalline silica exposure. Released in late March, it sets a threshold of 50-micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour shift, compared to a longstanding 250-microgram level for the construction industry.

ORGANIZATIONS – APRIL 2016

May 3, 2016 Concrete News

The Concrete Industry Management Program’s National Steering Committee grossed more than $925,000 at its annual auction, held in conjunction with the World of Concrete 2016. “[It] surpassed our highest gross proceeds total ever,” affirms Auction Committee Chairman Mike Philipps (Cemex USA). “We had a record in terms of the value of donated items and attendees that helped make this year’s event a tremendous success.”

Treasury Department: Construction industry shoulders top tax rate

April 20, 2016 Concrete News

Source: Associated Builders & Contractors, Washington, D.C.

A U.S. Department of the Treasury analysis confirms that a typical construction company faces an average effective federal tax burden of 30.3 percent against the 23.3 percent average for all U.S. businesses. The industry likewise pays the highest effective tax rate—the percent of income businesses actually pay in taxes—of any sector of the economy.

Contractor-led coalition sues Labor Department over union-biased ‘persuader rule’

April 4, 2016 Concrete News

Sources: Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC), Washington, D.C.; CP staff

A lawsuit ABC and other national or state groups have filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas challenges the U.S. Department of Labor’s final “persuader rule,” issued late last month. Officially titled Interpretation of the “Advice” Exemption, it revises the definition of what activities constitute “advice” and expands circumstances under which public reporting is required under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959.