AGC of America submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor on August 10 in support of the Department鈥檚 proposed rule to rescind the controversial 鈥減ersuader rule鈥 issued during the Obama Administration.
Each October, construction industry professionals in HR, training and workforce development gear up for the industry鈥檚 premier learning and networking event, AGC鈥檚 Construction HR & Training Professionals Conference, and this year is no different. The 2017 event will be held Oct. 11-13 at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. Here are the top 10 reasons to attend this year鈥檚 event.
On July 26, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) formally published a Request for Information (RFI) on the 2016 changes to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime regulations. In line with AGC鈥檚 regulatory recommendations, this RFI is the first step the DOL is undertaking to revisit the overtime rule that dramatically increased the salary threshold for exempt employees. AGC and its members were concerned that imposing such a large and immediate increase might result in unintended consequences, particularly for small construction companies, construction employers in lower鈥恮age regions, and construction personnel.
On July 17, 2017, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) released a revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Instructions for how to download Form I-9 are available on the Form I-9 page. Employers can use this revised version or continue using Form I-9 with a revision date of 11/14/16 N through Sept. 17. On Sept. 18, employers must use the revised form with a revision date of 07/17/17 N. Employers must continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9.
鈥淐ontractors, labor representatives and owner-clients in the union construction and maintenance industry are significantly more optimistic about growth opportunities in 2017 and beyond (+20%) compared to last year, but they also report an increasing pervasiveness in union craft labor shortages,鈥 reports The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) in a recent press release announcing the results of the 2017 Union Craft Labor Supply Survey conducted by it and the AGC-supported Construction Labor Research Council.
On June 15, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Labor Department to investigate how it can cut back the federal government鈥檚 role in creating and monitoring apprenticeship programs, a move that the White House claims will help fill vacant jobs.
The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule to rescind the controversial 鈥減ersuader rule鈥 issued by the previous administration. AGC plans to submit comments in support of the rescission prior to the August 11 deadline.
On June 14, 2017, AGC hosted a meeting between AGC members and officials from the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). OFCCP requested the meeting for the purpose of identifying problems that construction contractors have in meeting affirmative action requirements related to recruiting and suggestions for improved compliance assistance tools.
Construction staff wages rose by 3.6% in 2016 and contractors are projecting wages to increase an average of 3.4% in 2017, according to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc. Based on their Construction/CM Staff Salary Survey, PAS reports that increases appear to have leveled off, as noted in the following chart. PAS also points out that historically predictions are typically about .5% low, so year-end 2017 should exceed 3.4% and maybe even 2016鈥檚 3.6% increase.
In line with AGC鈥檚 regulatory recommendations, on June 7, 2017, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced the withdrawal of the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 (DOL) 2015 and 2016 informal guidance on joint employment and independent contractors. Both pieces of guidance together took an expansive interpretation of employment and threatened the traditional relationship between contractors and their partners. AGC and its members were concerned that these interpretations would make compliance more complicated, leading to unnecessary enforcement efforts and increased costs to projects.