Whether you love them or hate them, project labor agreements (PLAs) are a reality. In light of the new federal contractor PLA mandate and a growing number of state and local orders requiring or encouraging PLAs, contractors need to understand the intricacies of PLA terms and conditions now more than ever.

UPDATE: On March 8, 2024, the court handed AGC and co-plaintiffs a major victory when it granted our motion for summary judgment and vacated the NLRB’s rule. On May 7, 2024, the NLRB filed a notice of appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. On July 19, the Fifth Circuit granted NLRB's motion to voluntarily dismiss its appeal challenging vacatur of NLRB's 2023 joint employer rule.

Join AGC, NCCER and Ambition Theory on Monday, March 4 at 12pm EST for a Women in Construction Week Webinar, From Insights to Action Plan: A Toolkit for Advancing Women in Construction. During the webinar, we will share a new actionable toolkit - based off the findings from the 2023 "Building Better: Women in Construction Report" and following a discussion with construction firms during AGC's Construction HR & Workforce Conference - designed to help companies move beyond recruitment and pave the way for more women to move into leadership positions.

On January 30, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council proposed a rule that would require significant changes to pay transparency and applicant hiring to federal prime contractors and its subcontractors. Among the new requirements, the proposed rule would require federal prime contractors and subcontractors to disclose the compensation to be offered to the hired applicant in job announcements for certain positions. The proposed rule broadly defines this as, “all advertisements for job openings involving work on or in connection with a government contract placed by or on behalf of the contractor or subcontractor, the compensation to be offered to the hired applicant, for any position to perform work on or in connection with the contract.” It would also prohibit contractors and subcontractors from seeking and considering information about job applicants' compensation history when making employment decisions for certain positions. The FAR Council is accepting comments until April 1, 2024.

AGC of America’s 2024 Annual Convention is right around the corner, March 19-22, 2024, in San Diego, CA. Among the many valuable sessions and networking opportunities are some impactful sessions of particular interest to Human Resource & Labor News subscribers.

AGC is thrilled to announce an exciting new discount program for association members! The HOUND® CANNABIS BREATHALYZER is the first breath test to isolate workday cannabis use and is now available to AGC members at a discounted price. In an industry where split-second decisions and precise coordination are essential, cannabis testing is vital to helping AGC members build and maintain safe workplaces.

On Feb. 9, AGC of America and other business groups coordinated by the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace jointly filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to set aside a significant National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) decision that makes it easier for unions to gain recognition without a secret-ballot election beyond 8(f) recognition in construction.

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the way we communicate with members and AGC chapters, we ask that you please take a few minutes to complete the following AGC of America communications survey by Friday, March 1. The information you provide will help us as we prepare future editions of AGC’s Constructor Magazine, continue to enhance our e-mail newsletters and produce future episodes of AGC’s ConstructorCast podcast. The information will also help us improve our social media communications and development of future informational videos.

AGC of America’s 2024 Annual Convention is coming up March 19-22, 2024, in San Diego, CA. This not-to-be-missed event features distinguished keynote speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, eye-opening award ceremonies, and impactful education sessions. Events of particular interest to Human Resource & Labor News subscribers include:

The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) reports that the first year of new collective bargaining settlements reached in 2023 for union craft workers in the construction industry had an average wage-and-benefits increase of 4.7 percent or $2.98. The CLRC notes the surge in inflation in 2021 and 2022 have led to sharp increases but highlight that there is a lag effect on union craft increase because of the vast majority of negotiated union contracts are multiyear and many have yet to fully realize the recent surges in inflation. The CLRC projects first-year increases to level off in 2024/2025.