For polling information, visit  www.VoteTexas.gov

The ACE Mentor Program of Houston invites you to join in The Third Annual Build It Forward Event. This event brings together students involved in the ACE Mentor Program and industry-wide professionals. For more information and to learn how you can get involved, please click here.

Register today and save up to $150 for the 96th Annual AGC Convention on March 18-20, 2015 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. AGC Houston is proud that Chuck Greco, Chairman, Linbeck Group, LLC., will become President of AGC of America. This prestigious honor marks only the second time an AGC Houston Leader has led the organization to such a level since Warren S. Bellows in 1946. At the same time that Chuck will take his new position, Jerry Nevlud, President of the Houston Chapter, will become Chairman of the Executive Leadership Council with the AGC of America’s organization of CEOs.

AGC Houston-Frontline Leadership is a six-session training program designed to equip new, current or aspiring supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage and develop their people and projects. The format consists of six, half-day modules that can be taken as stand-alone courses or as part of the series.

Completion of this course meets the requirements of OSHA Paragraph 1926.50, and participants will receive an American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid and CPR/AED wallet card valid for two years upon course completion.

AGC Houston-Frontline Leadership is a six-session training program designed to equip new, current or aspiring supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage and develop their people and projects. The format consists of six, half-day modules that can be taken as stand-alone courses or as part of the series.

This course covers the OSHA standards, policies, and procedures in general industry. Topics include scope and application of the OSHA General Industry Standards, general industry principles and special emphasis on those areas in general industry that are most hazardous.

Don't miss the last OSHA 10-hour safety course of the year. This construction course covers the safety requirements as contained in 29 CFR 1926. This course is designed to provide an entry-level construction workers general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site.

The AGC Alternative, is a private insurance exchange that operates like an online store, making it easy for your employees to shop for health insurance and other benefits on their own or through the help of our dedicated employee hotline. It is interactive, easily reproduced and available exclusively to AGC member companies interested in having its own insurance exchange.

Benefit from financial strength and a superior loss-control program. It is managed by a board comprised of CompGroup AGC members—general contractors and subcontractors from all parts of Texas are represented. It is a TDI-approved Workers' Compensation Purchasing Group.

Learn more about membership benefits in the CompGroup AGC, Inc. today! Contact your insurance agent or call Program Administrator Roberts & Crow at 800-406-9614 - ask for Julie Schatz.

We're excited to announce new AGC Houston emblem stickers available to all members! Show your AGC pride. Contact AGC Houston today at (713) 843-3700 and get hard hat stickers while they last. They're free for members!

A final rule announced September 11, 2014, requires employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. The rule, which also updates the list of employers partially exempt from OSHA record-keeping requirements, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction. Under the revised rule, employers will be required to notify OSHA of work-related fatalities within eight hours, and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) released its final rule implementing Executive Order 13658 (EO), which establishes a minimum wage of $10.10 per hour for direct federal prime contractors and subcontractors at all tiers. That $10.10 minimum wage must be adjusted annually for inflation. The new minimum wage will take effect on direct federal agency contracts entered into on or after Jan. 1, 2015.

The construction industry has been booming with the completion of some outstanding projects and it's time to show them off! Apply today for the 2015 Alliant Build America competition or the 2015 AGC in the Community competition. All member companies in good standing who meet the competition requirements are encouraged to apply and receive some well-deserved recognition for the hard work and dedication that goes into each project.

AGC Houston and other AGC Texas chapters have joined forces to help promote careers in the commercial construction industry by launching Texasconstructioncareers.com. More than just a website that allows employers to post jobs and job seekers their resumes, the site offers a plethora of information on craft training and professional education resources, career opportunities for military veterans reentering the workforce and job fairs throughout Texas. Click here for more information about Texas ConstructionCareers.com.

Congratulations to Anslow Bryant Construction, Ltd. Marketing Manager Lori Grubbs who was named Member of the Year by the Houston Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services. The organization held its annual awards gala on October 24 at The Houston Zoo. This recognition reflects Lori’s continued dedication to marketing excellence. The award is given to the SMPS Houston member who has demonstrated significant commitment to the organization during the past year. This is for the member who has gone above and beyond the role of a typical member and has made significant contributions to the Chapter in the process. Congratulations, Lori!

Young commercial construction industry professionals spent a great evening networking on Thursday, October 29, at Luke's Ice house near Washington Ave.

Most construction firms report they are having trouble finding qualified craft workers to fill key spots as the industry recovers from its years-long downturn, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released October 22 by AGC of America. Association officials called for new career and technical school programs, as well as other workforce measures to offset the labor shortages. For a full report to the national survey results, click here. To view results specific to Texas, click here.

Two Houston school districts and a college system are putting new construction bonds to the vote next month and, if passed on November 4, could collectively add $1.47 billion of construction projects to a busy market already fiercely competing for labor and materials. In November, voters served by Katy Independent School District and Lamar Consolidated Independent School District as well as the Lone Star College System will consider multimillion-dollar bonds.

The increased coverage around Obamacare and the state’s strong economy has led to more people being covered under employer insurance, which has played a role in bringing the number of uninsured down. However, due to Texas' lack of a comprehensive Medicaid program, the state has seen a much larger drop in the percentage of uninsured. This will begin to affect employers, especially those who hire low-income, uninsured workers. Employer penalties for uninsured employees will start in 2015. Dr. Vivian Ho of the Baker Institute states, "If these workers aren't insured, it’s more people these employers will have to take a penalty for because it’s expected the employers should provide insurance for uninsured people."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration wants to overhaul its approach to reducing workplace exposure to hazardous chemicals—and the agency is asking for your help. For the next six months, OSHA will accept comments on the best ways to protect workers from illnesses caused by exposure to hazardous substances. It’s specifically asking stakeholders, including businesses, for suggestions on how to streamline risk assessment and develop alternatives to updating permissible exposure limits (PELs) for chemicals.

Recently, Charles Vento, CFPS, Harris County Fire Marshal's Office contacted AGC Houston to inform our members about Waller County's Fire Code. Stated Vento, "Many of the contractors, developers, and design professionals who work on projects in Waller County come from the Houston area and so we are hoping that you will help us with this initiative to get the word out. Please see the Web address and attached press release for information related to relevant codes, plan submittal, and fees."

The 104-story One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and contains 45,000 tons of structural steel and 208,000 cubic yards of concrete. The $3.2 billion building, constructed 13 years after the 9/11 attacks, is opening its doors this week. Conde Nast moved into the tower on Monday and will eventually be followed by the U.S. General Services Administration and other tenants.