Total construction spending decreased by 0.4 percent in July as spending on new houses and apartments tumbled, overshadowing a pickup in private nonresidential and public construction, according to an analysis the Associated General Contractors of America released today of federal spending data. Association officials said their newly released survey, conducted with Autodesk, showed labor shortages and supply chain problems are limiting their ability to complete projects, likely undermining total construction spending levels.
Construction employment increased in 250 or 70 percent of 358 metro areas between July 2021 and July 2022, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of new government employment data. But association officials cautioned that most construction firms report they are struggling to find enough qualified workers to hire, according to a survey the association and Autodesk will release Wednesday.
On April 8, the Department of Labor (DOL) / Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the first-ever national emphasis program (NEP) on heat-related hazards in the workplace would go into effect immediately. The NEP set a goal for the agency to double the number of workplace inspections related to heat. The NEP identifies the general duty clause, Section (5)(a)(1) of the OSH Act, as the mechanism to cite employers for heat-related hazards if all criteria to support such a citation are met. Those criteria are as follows:
The Biden administration just issued a proposed regulation mandating that every general contractor and subcontractor engage in negotiation or agree to project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects valued at $35 million or more with limited exceptions.
AGC of America’s Union Contractors Committee will hold its next quarterly virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. EASTERN Daylight Time. All AGC members and chapter staff are invited. The meeting is not open to nonmembers. The agenda will include updates from AGC staff and an open discussion of labor relations matters.
In the latest installment of protracted litigation involving Browning-Ferris Industries (“BFI”) and the appropriate standard for determining joint-employer status under the National Labor Relations Act, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on July 29 vacated a National Labor Relations Board decision in BFI’s favor. The standard is significant, as companies that are joint employers may be held jointly responsible for any unfair labor practices and collective bargaining obligations related to the jointly employed workers.
In light of the 30-day window that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is offering federal contractors to object to a disclosure of EEO-1 reports, AGC of America will host an informal conversation with Alissa Horvitz of the law firm Roffman Horvitz on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, from 3:00–3:30 p.m. EASTERN Daylight Time. All interested AGC members and chapter staff are invited. The meeting is not open to nonmembers. The conversation will cover the background of the disclosure order, what data is included, contractors covered, liability concerns and next steps for contractors amongst other matters. A brief Q&A session will be offered at the end if there are further questions.
The agenda is coming together and registration is open for the 2022 Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference and pre-conference Federal Construction HR Workshop to be held October 12-14, 2022, in Phoenix, AZ.
Component 2 Pay Data for 2017 & 2018 Reports Not to be Included