51·çÁ÷’s volunteers are valued members who work to address industry issues, exchange ideas, and lead change to advance the industry. You and your colleagues are invited to take the next step in your 51·çÁ÷ journey and join the volunteer pool. Many opportunities are available to get engaged and make a difference. Several committees are looking for committed volunteers, but there are also many short-term opportunities available. Complete or update the volunteer tab in your member profile by October 1st to let us know what you are interested in. This is a great way to advance 51·çÁ÷, contribute to the construction industry, and support the personal growth of you and your team. If you’re interested but short on time, please share this opportunity with colleagues who may want to get more involved. Visit www.agc.org/volunteer for details on volunteer roles and responsibilities.
We're excited to announce that the agenda for Construction HR & Workforce 2024 is now live! Get ready to explore a dynamic lineup of sessions designed to equip you with the latest insights, strategies, and tools to drive success in your organization.
The Rule Also Rescinds Other Representation-Case Protections
51·çÁ÷ joined a U.S. Chamber of Commerce-led amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appeals court decision that creates roadblocks for trade associations and businesses challenging illegal federal agency actions.
The Proposed Standard. On July 2, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published their proposed standard addressing heat illness in outdoor and indoor settings. The proposal codifies many of the heat safety practices the construction industry already uses to protect workers. Those measures, which broadly fall into the categories of water, rest, shade, and training, were crafted by contractors as part of their general duty obligations to protect workers from hazards associated with high temperatures. However, OSHA has not addressed the disparate impacts of heat in various parts of the country. The impacts on worker safety of a 90°F day in Mississippi are different than a 90°F day in Alaska. The final version of the rule should take into account regional differences in weather patterns.
In May 2024, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.), along with the Republican members of the Committee, created 10 "Republican Tax Teams" to explore different aspects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Many elements of this legislation, which was the most comprehensive rewrite of the federal tax code in over 30 years, have either already expired, or will expire in 2025. Included in these expiring provisions are a number of provisions that are particularly important to the construction industry, including the ability to fully deduct the cost of new and used equipment in the year it is purchased ("full expensing"), the increased exemption level for the estate tax, and the so-called "qualified business income deduction," also known as the "section 199A deduction."
A Texas federal judge has struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) recent rule banning post-separation non-compete agreements nationwide. The ban was originally slated to go into effect on September 4th, but employers can now continue to maintain non-competes as their state laws allow.
With the addition of two new federal bid protests, 51·çÁ÷ is aware that four 51·çÁ÷-member construction firms have now filed federal bid protests objecting to project solicitations that require a project labor agreement (PLA). All four protests have led the government to voluntarily suspend the contract awards for the procurements while the protests are still pending. As reported recently in this article, the protests utilize a legal theory that 51·çÁ÷ helped create with outside counsel at Fox Rothschild. All four protests are pending before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.