The Blueprint

The Builders Association applauds all companies who participated in our Contractor Safety Award Program; we are proud to represent a membership that prioritizes safety in construction. We look forward to awarding the following member companies on their safety achievements at our annual Spring Summit on May 12.

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On April 4, Builders Association joined AGC of America and three of its other Illinois chapters (Central Illinois Builders of AGC, Fox Valley AGC, and Southern Illinois Builders Association) in filing a brief amicus curiae to the Appellate Court of Illinois (Second Judicial District) in AUI Construction Group v. Vaessen, where a property owner and a developer maintain that their 50-year easement agreement trumps Illinois’ mechanics lien law.

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Many contracts are being updated as we approach June 1. All updates are reported in real time on the members-only side of our website. Please note that you will need your member login information in order to access the Trade Wages/Allocations/Updates page.

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The Builders Association is proud to support each and every member among our ranks. Keep us in the loop when exciting promotions happen, your firm participates in philanthropy, a notable retirement begins, an exciting new office program is put in place, or any other newsworthy event happens! We are always looking for ways to highlight the many accomplishments of our member companies.

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Change orders are a way of life on any construction project; however, that is no excuse for federal agencies taking many months or even years to process and pay change orders. Please complete this brief survey to help AGC gauge the effectiveness of the change order process on federal construction projects. All survey responses are anonymous and allow AGC to better articulate the issues you face when working for federal construction agencies.

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AGC members receive valuable discounts of up to 29% on select FedEx Express® and FedEx Ground® shipping services, up to 70% on FedEx Freight® shipping services and up to 20% on select FedEx Office® business services. There are no costs and no minimum shipping, copy or print requirements to take advantage of this great member benefit.

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The annual Spring Summit celebrates the role that Builders Association members have in safety across the construction industry. The Builders Association looks forward to hosting a pre-Summit Compliance Seminar, conferring safety awards to member recipients, hosting speakers on an eye-opening safety topic, and visiting with industry associates on May 12th at Maggiano's Little Italy Oak Brook.

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The CLC will be hosting a jobsite tour on May 19th at The McCormick Place HQ Hotel and The McCormick Place Event Center. The McCormick Place HQ Hotel is a joint venture of Clark Construction, Bulley & Andrews LLC, Old Veteran Construction, and Powers & Sons, and The McCormick Place Event Center is a joint venture of Clark Construction, Bulley & Andrews LLC, and Old Veteran Construction. Join the CLC for an evening of touring this exciting project, a presentation and Q&A session, and networking reception with industry peers.

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Join the Builders Foundation at Ruffled Feathers in Lemont on July 13th for a (hopefully) sunny day of golfing for a cause. The Builders Foundation has awarded a record-breaking nine Chicago-area college students with scholarships this year, and we need to show more support than ever.

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At the March 8, 2016 MARBA Board Meeting, Robert Casey, MARBA's Outside Legal Counsel from Ogletree Deakins, submitted his bimonthly Legal Report highlighting President Obama's Executive Order (13706) dealing with Paid Sick Leave. The Legal Report indicated the Department of Labor had issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) to implement Executive Order 13706. The Legal Report further discussed several aspects of the NPRM.

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Court officials announced late last week that the AGC-backed lawsuit to block the Obama Administration's misguided new silica rule will be heard in the D.C. Circuit Court. AGC, via the Louisiana AGC, filed suit in the 5th Circuit earlier this month to block the measure arguing that the administration established a new standard that is beyond the technological limits of current dust removal equipment. However, a number of other groups filed similar motions in other court circuits, forcing judicial officials to select a venue via random lottery. While the DC Circuit is considered less favorable than the 5th circuit, some of the circuit's prior case law does appear favorable. As we mentioned in our earlier communications on this lawsuit, the legal challenge is a long, lengthy and far-from certain tactic. That is why AGC is continuing to push for legislation in Congress to force the administration to put in place workable silica measures that will be far more effective in improving workplace health and safety.

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Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. Over 300 construction workers died as a result of a fall at work in 2014. These deaths are preventable with the proper use of fall prevention and fall protection. A new app called Harness Hero is not just a game, but an innovative approach to saving lives in the construction industry. This gaming app will enhance the way AGC members deliver fall protection training and it will be available for download through the Google Play Store, Amazon Under Ground, and Apple iTunes by this year’s Safety Stand Down Week, May 2-6, 2016.

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Recent AGC findings report that Illinois construction hiring grew 1.9% by adding 4,100 jobs from February to March of this year. AGC officials cautioned that worker shortages will continue to be more pronounced as construction grows in many parts of the country. They again urged federal, state and local officials to act on the measures outlined in the association's Workforce Development Plan to rebuild the once robust vocational education system that once existed in many parts of the country to recruit and train new workers.

"These healthy job gains show that educators and policy makers in all states should provide more support to construction education and training programs," said Stephen E. Sandherr, the association’s chief executive officer. "As a result, we are loading many students up with college debt instead of encouraging them to begin making higher-than-average wages as construction craft workers."

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The latest economic analysis of the construction industry is now available. It analyzes the economic impact of construction, nonresidential construction spending, construction employment, construction industry pay, and small businesses in construction on both the state and national level.

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The Builders Association proudly partners with the Construction Education Institute to bring additional education and training opportunities to its membership. Don't miss the MCA/LU 597 inaugural Construction Technology Showcase on May 18th at the Pipe Fitter Training Facility in Mokena. As automation and technology continue to dominate the changes in our industry we intend to continue to help contractors cope with this change. Are you just starting to look at technology? Have you gotten your feet wet but need to know what to do next? Are you a power BIM contractor but want to make sure you're on the right track? The Showcase will have something for everyone. The showcase will feature tech firms, consultants, and a display of the latest UA technology, all set in a world-class facility. Visit http://tech-day.org/ to register.

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