AGC of America’s Union Contractors Committee will hold its next conference call on Monday, December 14, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The agenda includes updates on recent legal and labor developments and a roundtable discussion of activities of interest to union contractors. Participation is free and open to all AGC-member union contractors and chapter staff, regardless of committee membership. (AGC nonmembers may not participate.)

The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) impose numerous, confusing mandates on construction contractors that work under federal and federally assisted contracts. Failure to comply puts covered contractors at risk of catastrophic consequences, from high-dollar penalties to debarment from future federal work. On December 10 and 15, AGC will conduct a two-part webinar to help such contractors avoid those risks by educating staff tasked with DBRA compliance and administration on coverage, requirements, pitfalls, and enforcement of these laws. Each session will take place from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. EST.

New Measure Ends Requirement for Firms to Automatically Enroll Employees This week, President Obama signed into law a bipartisan budget package that included AGC of America-backed legislation to eliminate the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) mandatory automatic enrollment provision. The mandatory automatic enrollment provision would have required employers with more than 200 full-time employees to automatically enroll employees into coverage if an employee did not voluntarily chose or decline a plan. As AGC CEO Stephen Sandherr noted, the "new measure protects countless construction workers from being forced to pay deductions for health insurance they may not need or cannot afford."

Colleen Kelly, Beacon Occupational Health & Safety Services Has all of the romance drained out of your business proposals? You used to spend hours thinking about the client’s needs and wants. What would their ideal contractor look like? How could I show that we’re the perfect match? But lately, things have become stale. You’re less interested in them and would much rather talk about yourself. If your win rate is going down the tubes, now’s the time to rethink your proposal writing strategy.

On September 4, AGC submitted comments to the U. S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) regarding proposed changes to the overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If implemented, the proposed rule would increase the salary threshold for the executive, administrative and professional exemptions from $455 per week ($23,660 per year) to $970 per week ($50,440 per year) – an increase of more than 100%. The threshold for highly compensated employees would also increase from $100,000 per year to $122,148 per year. Both thresholds would be adjusted annually based on one of two proposed methods.

Jon O'Brien, Master Builders Association LinkedIn has been called Facebook for professionals, the virtual rolodex, and the headhunter’s haven to name a few. Regardless of what you call this online network, LinkedIn can be important for business development. Before delving into LinkedIn business development advice, let’s look at why LinkedIn is beneficial for the construction industry.

Cynthia Paul, FMI Corporation Have you ever noticed that some people and companies just seem to stand out, and everywhere you turn, they are being quoted or interviewed or are consistently receiving better scores on proposals? They are not much different than others; but, like the old E.F. Hutton advertisement asserts, when they speak, people listen. So what is the difference? In a world of specialized expertise, everyone, from owners of construction projects to your company looking for new talent, wants people with deep expertise and a proven track record of generating results. Being good at what you do, however, is not enough to make you or your company shine; people need to know that you are good at what you do. If you want to stop being that hidden jewel or are looking to make your company’s proposals stand out more, try these few quick tips for getting recognized in writing.

Chuck Fenske, Knoch Corporation In order to execute a successful business development program, it is important to define what business development truly means and what steps are required to make it so. At its core, business development is the strategic manufacturing of revenue growth opportunities. While some use the term as a synonym for sales and others include mergers and acquisitions, business development actually involves a broader scope including corporate strategy, marketing, sales, and human resources. Each of these are prevalent throughout the following steps, which outline a successful business development process.

Chuck Fenske, Knoch Corporation In order to execute a successful business development program, it is important to define what business development truly means and what steps are required to make it so. At its core, business development is the strategic manufacturing of revenue growth opportunities. While some use the term as a synonym for sales and others include mergers and acquisitions, business development actually involves a broader scope including corporate strategy, marketing, sales, and human resources. Each of these are prevalent throughout the following steps, which outline a successful business development process.

George Calys, Acumen Congratulations. You made the shortlist. Now comes the interview. While it's not rocket science, it is work to pull off a great presentation. Here are 10 essential things to consider before every presentation.