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March 11, 2020, at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino

Construction-industry collective bargaining negotiations completed in 2019 resulted in an average first-year increase in wages and fringe benefits of $1.67 or 2.9 percent, according to the annual year-end Settlements Report issued by the AGC-supported Construction Labor Research Council (“CLRC”).

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) recently announced the release of its new technical assistance guide created specifically for construction contractors. OFCCP intends for construction contractors to use the technical assistance guide as a self-assessment tool to review the practices they have in place to eliminate discrimination and achieve their equal employment opportunity goals.

On Jan. 31, 2020, The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. This new version contains minor changes to the form and its instructions. Employers should begin using this updated form as of Jan. 31, 2020.

OFCCP recently announced the release of its new Contractor Compliance Institute (CCI), an on-demand learning management system designed to help federal contract holders meet their equal employment opportunity obligations.

Union representation across occupations in the construction industry modestly declined in 2019, from 13.8 percent to 13.6 percent of workers employed, according to an annual release recently issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”). Union membership in the industry also modestly declined, from 12.8 percent to 12.6 percent, but remains considerably higher than the all-industry average in the private sector, which declined from 6.4 percent to 6.2 percent over the year. Construction union representation and membership decreased by a larger margin in 2018 but increased slightly in both 2017 and 2016. The total number of workers in construction (regardless of union affiliation) rose in each of those years. In 2019, the number rose from 8,169,000 to 8,352,000.

Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas and Kansas City Have Largest Gains; New York City and Fairbanks, Alaska Lag the Most as Labor Shortages Likely Kept Firms in Many Areas from Adding Even More Workers

AGC recently submitted comments to a proposed rulemaking that would establish new transparency requirements on group health plans and health insurers in the individual and group markets. AGC is in favor of increasing transparency for employers and their employees to empower them as health care consumers; however, as markets differ, the approach to transparency for different types of employer-sponsored plans must also differ.

Texas and Maine Have Biggest Number and Percent of Annual Job Gains, Ohio and Wyoming Have Largest Annual Losses; Texas and Iowa Have Largest Monthly Gains While Nevada and West Virginia Have Largest Monthly Declines

AGC of America and AGC of San Antonio successfully delivered the brand new second edition of AGC’s Project Manager Development Program courses January 20th through the 24th to a sold-out class held at the AGC of San Antonio. Delivery of this course highlights the AGC of San Antonio’s commitment to educating and engaging their members. The updated curriculum directly addresses the core business of General Contractors, Specialty Contractors, and all trade partners. The class consisted of a mix of all three contractor types and everyone benefitted from instruction from AGC chapter instructors from AGC of Wisconsin, AGC of Houston and The Arizona Builder’s Alliance.