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 Top News
On February 4, the Protect the Right to Organize (PRO) Act was introduced in Congress and AGC released a statement after its introduction: New “PRO Act” Will Hurt Construction Workers, Undermine Their Privacy And Make It Hard For The Economy To Recover, Official Warns. The bill is the AFL-CIO’s ambitious attempt to overturn decades of federal policy. Despite its name, the PRO Act does much more than protect an employee’s right to organize and engage in collective bargaining. In fact, the PRO Act would expand the economic weapons available to unions at the bargaining table, at the workplace, and beyond. The proposed legislation also contains provisions that are of particular concern to union contractors and those concerns were discussed in detail in an AGC analysis last year. AGC is encouraging members to tell their members of Congress to oppose this anti-worker, anti-privacy, and anti-recovery legislation by following this link.
Webinar playback and Q&A document now available
In response to the present situation regarding the Coronavirus pandemic and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, AGC of America (AGC) has recently produced several resources to assist construction employers as they consider any vaccine policies. The following resources were developed by AGC and Fisher Phillips, one of the country’s largest employment law firms dedicated to representing employers, and are free to AGC members.
Advocacy
On February 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, a bill that would provide nearly $4 billion to expand registered apprenticeships through grants and modify the approval process for apprenticeship programs. Importantly, the bill elevates the role of registered apprenticeship, makes it a national priority, and aligns workforce programs across multiple federal agencies. However, the bill includes language that would bar access to the new grant opportunities to programs that do not partner with a labor union. AGC supports all bona fide and high-quality apprenticeship programs that are registered with the U.S. Department of Labor and believes they should all be eligible for grant opportunities under the bill. An amendment to clarify all registered apprenticeship programs would be eligible for grants failed despite AGC voicing support for the amendment. The legislation needs to be approved by the U.S. Senate before becoming law. There is no timeframe for Senate consideration at this time and AGC will continue to advocate for modifications of the bill.
Construction Economic News
Newly introduced PRO Act and congressional efforts to discriminate against certain construction training programs likely to disrupt ongoing projects and undermine efforts to prepare new workers
Construction employment stagnated in January, ending eight months of recovery from the pandemic-related losses of early 2020, according to an analysis by AGC of America of government data released recently. Association officials added that new measures being considered in Congress, including the PRO Act and the National Apprenticeship Act, threaten to undermine the sector’s recovery by disrupting ongoing projects and hampering employers’ ability to train workers.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Initiative aims to place 2.5 million girls in stem workforce by 2025
Katie Walker is the proud new owner of a Girl Scout vest, covered in badges showing off a variety of accomplishments. Walker isn’t a Girl Scout though. She’s a project manager for Lingo Construction Services, Inc., an AGC of Oklahoma Building Chapter member, who oversaw building the Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma’s new Camp Trivera in Oklahoma City.
BY MOLLY FLEMING PR COORDINATOR, OKLAHOMA CITY CHAMBER
Equipment – both owned and rented – may not be as large of an expense as labor or materials, but is nonetheless a strategic variable in a construction business. Utilization of earthmoving equipment, aerial platforms, tools and a wide range of other equipment can be a barometer of overall project efficiency.
BY BRET KASUBKE, DIRECTOR, CUSTOMER EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS, UNITED RENTALS
A MEMBER OF MULTIPLE AGC CHAPTERS
Business Tips
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BEST PRACTICES SERIES
My grandfather was a brick mason. People learned his name, his quality of work, saw his logo on his truck, and eventually called him up to quote work or even gave him a no competition award as a subcontractor. The trust he earned with owners and GCs and the friends he made, spread the word to second degree connections who trusted these contacts. Isn’t this the goal of business development? These are old school values, and there is no “quick fix” to building your network of trusted partners. LinkedIn, and the services it provides, though, can supplement the work you are doing to be known by owners, subs, or GCs.
BY JOHNNY SAVAGE, CHIEF ESTIMATOR, DBR GENERAL ENGINEERING A SAN DIEGO CHAPTER MEMBER
Member NewsRichard S. Pepper, one of the construction industry's most respected leaders, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2021. He was 90 years old. Richard began his career working as an estimator for Pepper Construction, a Chicagoland AGC and AGC-Indiana member, which was founded by his father in 1927. When his father passed away unexpectedly in 1957, Richard assumed leadership of the company and continued serving at the helm of the organization until his passing.
Bituminous Roadways, Inc. (BR), a Minnesota asphalt contractor and an AGC of Minnesota member, celebrates 75 years this year. With a humble beginning of a three-man crew in 1946 to more than 200 employees during the 2020 paving season, BR has much to celebrate.
On your next Delta Air Lines flight, if equipped with seatback in-flight entertainment, you’ll have the opportunity to view ‘Building Atlanta: The Story of Herman J. Russell’, a documentary film about the life and legacy of Atlanta businessman and founder of one of the country’s largest Black-owned commercial real estate development and construction firms, H. J. Russell & Company, an AGC Georgia member. Delta is bringing the film onboard as part of all new content on Delta Studio, its in-flight entertainment platform, beginning this month. The nearly hour-long film features interviews with notable Atlantans who knew Herman J. Russell well.
Industry EventsFebruary 24-26, 2021
March 3, 2021
March 18-19, 2021
March 23, 2021 For details on any event, please visit the Hiring Our Heroes Calendar.
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