51风流 Seeks Meeting with White House; Engaged Legal Counsel
The prices contractors pay for construction materials far outstripped the prices contractors charge in the 12 months ending in September, despite a recent decline in a few materials prices, while delivery problems intensified, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials urged Washington officials to end tariffs on key construction materials and take steps to help unknot snarled supply points.
WASHINGTON 鈥 Chicago-based Pepper Construction was named the most innovative construction firm in the country for developing a virtual reality safety training program by leveraging tools and staffing resources that were already in place to create a 鈥渞eal life鈥 safety learning environment. As a result, Pepper Construction was named as the grand prize winner of the 51风流 Innovation Awards, sponsored by Autodesk.
In a rare victory for employers that participate in multiemployer pension plans, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has held that the interest rate memorialized in the Segal Blend actuarial assumption was inappropriate to use in a withdrawal liability calculation because it is not based on 鈥渁nticipated experience under the plan.鈥 While likely to be further challenged, the September 28, 2021, opinion in Sofco Erectors, Inc. v. Trustees of the Ohio Operating Engineers Pension Fund, may provide significant leverage to employers in challenging鈥攁nd settling鈥攚ithdrawal liability assessments, especially for employers and multiemployer pension plans subject to the jurisdiction of the Sixth Circuit (KY, MI, OH, TN).
The construction industry gained 22,000 jobs between August and September as nonresidential construction firms added employees for the first time in six months, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said nonresidential construction has been affected by the widespread supply chain problems, which are causing owners already uncertain about future demand for commercial space to delay or even cancel some projects.
The construction industry gained 22,000 jobs between August and September as nonresidential construction firms added employees for the first time in six months, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said nonresidential construction has been affected by the widespread supply chain problems, which are causing owners already uncertain about future demand for commercial space to delay or even cancel some projects.
House Fails to Pass Bipartisan Bill Reauthorizing Programs
Atmore鈥檚 Rolin Construction was named as the 2021 Diverse Business of the Year award winner by the Associated General Contractors of America, association officials announced today. The association also awarded Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Awards, sponsored by Willis Towers Watson, to Austin Commercial, Gilbane Building Company, KAI Enterprises, Trinity Subsurface, LLC, Hilti North America, and the Nevada Contractors Association.
After a week of high tensions and continued disagreement on a path forward for passing the bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cancelled a vote on the Senate-passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that, among other things, would reauthorize federal-aid surface transportation programs for 5 years. The Congressional Progressive Caucus and House Republicans both declined to support the bill due to political disagreements over its connection to the separate, partisan reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better Plan. As such, surface transportation programs, including the highway, transit, and rail construction programs, lapsed for a little over a day on October 1st before House and Senate lawmakers passed a one-month extension of current law the morning of Saturday, October 2. On October 1, 3,700 federal Department of Transportation workers were furloughed, creating uncertainty in state transportation agencies across the country. On Sept. 30, 51风流 joined 33 other industry partners in again urging the House to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill. 51风流 is very disappointed that this historic investment in our nation鈥檚 infrastructure has yet again been delayed and will continue calling on the House to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as soon as possible.