 |
||||||||||
| Archive | Subscribe | Print Friendly | Send to a Friend | www.agchouston.org | ||||||||||
Education/Training
Safety
Feb. 5-9: SH 385O: Health Requirements & OSHA Construction 30-HR Card
Feb. 6-8: OSHA 3115: Fall Protection
 AGC Houston contractor members must have participated in the National AGC Safety Awards Program for three consecutive years in order to be eligible for an award. This means a member must have participated in the program for the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 in order to be eligible to receive an award in 2018.
AGC News
 The AGC Texas Building Branch has instituted a new online submittal process for the awards.
•General Contractors and Specialty Contractors can submit projects in 30 categories.
•No entry fees!
•Winning projects will be recognized at the AGC TBB Annual Convention, June 6-9, 2018 at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, PA. AGC Houston and the Texas Building Branch encourages members to register for primary elections and get to the ballot boxes to cast your vote. Over the coming weeks, AGC TBB will provide information on Statewide, Senate, and House races, along with the elections that are most significant to our industry.
These are the elections that make a difference in Texas - The vast majority of state races are decided in March, not in November!
Primary Voting Deadlines
Monday, Feb. 5, 2018 - Last Day to Register to Vote
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 - First Day of Early Voting
Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 - Mail-in Ballot applications must be received
Friday, March 2, 2018 - Last Day of Early Voting
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 - ELECTION DAY Each year, leading economists look into their "crystal balls" in an attempt to foresee what the New Year holds for the construction industry. For 2018, this proved a tougher task given key uncertainties clouding the outlook at year end, including the incomplete 2018 federal spending package and as yet enacted tax reform legislation (just passed at time of publication). Add in storm and wildfire recovery boosting construction demand, costs and labor woes (further compounded by immigration reform), then throw in the pending mid-term elections, and the future is cloudier still.
That said, economists gave their best shot, and here is a Q&A covering their outlook for the overall U.S. economy and general construction as we neared the close of 2017.
The AGC-supported CICA Center is a free online resource on environmental compliance and sustainability that is open to the entire U.S. construction industry. The Center is an online clearinghouse of resources on the top rules you will need to keep track of during your construction projects.
Republicans’ brief control of the National Labor Relations Board ended with the expiration of Chairman Philip Miscimarra’s term on Dec. 16, 2017. In anticipation of the change, the Board issued several employer-friendly decisions with significant impact. The most high-profile among them is a ruling in Hy-Brand Industrial Contractors that overturns the controversial, AGC-opposed joint-employer standard established in Browning-Ferris Industries.
Events
February 13: AGC Advocacy Sporting Clays Tournament
February 15: AGC Membership Orientation March 1: AGC Membership Mixer - NEW LOCATION! Cafe Adobe Sponsored by SMARTBID March 23 & 24: AGC Houston Barbecue Cook-Off & Fair- Cook Team Registration Ends February 23! Member News
February 7, 2018 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at The Forest Club
Rising Star educational program, geared for up-and-coming leaders.
The upcoming program will address document control on construction projects, which is critical to success and risk mitigation.
A panel of industry professionals will discuss the importance of efficient and effective document management for successful construction projects. To register, click here. News you can Use
Register Today!
U.S. Department Of Labor Houston Employer Forum
Wednesday, February 28, 2018, 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Houston Community College Southeast, Learning HUB, 6815 Rustic, Houston, TX 77087.
Don’t miss this free opportunity to get compliance assistance information and training from the agencies that enforce
federal labor laws. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first- served basis. Up to two people per organization may attend.
Tony Stergio, Andrews Myers, PC, highlights key employment law updates regarding the Obamacare Employer Mandate, I-9s Inspections and OSHA Inspections.
Obamacare Employer Mandate.
The recent tax cut legislation under the Trump Administration eliminates Obamacare’s individual mandate for health insurance, the provision that taxed individuals who elect not to purchase health insurance. I-9s Inspections Are Back.
The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement ("ICE") Agency is expanding its inspections of employers’ Form I-9s in the Houston area. OSHA Inspections Down Nationally, But Maybe Not Locally.
You may have seen reports from NBC and other national media outlets that OSHA inspections are expected to decrease nationally due to the Agency’s loss of 4% of its inspectors. Construction Career Collaborative (C3), a 501c3 in Houston today announced the launch of the Craft Training Endorsement Program that awards commercial construction companies with one of three endorsement levels for targeted commercial construction skilled craft training programs.
"The construction industry must deliver strong craft training programs connected to career paths in order to create a sustainable workforce built on well trained and safe craft professionals," said Jim Stevenson, President of McCarthy Building and Chairman of the Board at C3.
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Columbia rejected challenges to OSHA's 2016 silica rule made by industry groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A spokesperson for the U.S. Chamber said the chamber still is reviewing the decision, "but we continue to believe that OSHA lacks substantial evidence to support its rule." In 2016, OSHA published a final rule regulating workplace exposure to silica, Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (29 CFR 1910, 1915 and 1926). Read the full article here.
Read "D.C. Circuit Rejects All Industry Challenges to OSHA’s New Silica Standards" here. AGC Houston Silica Task force members spent more than a year clarifying the hard questions that aren't specifically addressed in the silica standard for construction. View more information and resources here.  Looking to enhance your workforce?
NextOp is hosting a luncheon on February 8, 2018 to showcase how companies can get connected with prescreened, qualified veterans who are looking to enter the workforce in construction.
On January 5, 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reissued 17 previously withdrawn opinion letters addressing a wide range of topics under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). 15 of the 17 letters were originally signed off on during the final days of the Bush administration, but were withdrawn by the Obama administration "for further consideration by the Wage and Hour Division" on March 2, 2009, and stated that it would "provide a further response in the near future," but never did.
Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of AGC of America, released a statement December 1, 2017 in connection with the proposed Senate Tax Reform measure: "The association has long advocated for comprehensive tax reform, especially considering that construction employers pay the highest effective rate of any industry at 30.3 percent. The Senate tax reform bill has been substantially improved over the course of the past few days and we support its passage.
"It is important to note that most construction firms are organized as pass-through entities, such as S corporations and partnerships that are taxed at personal rather than corporate tax rates. While the Senate proposal has wisely increased the pass-through deduction from 17.4 percent to 23 percent, the fact that the cut is temporary is concerning. We also remain disappointed that infrastructure was largely overlooked in the tax reform process. This is a missed opportunity." 
Membership Benefits
 AGC members are eligible to participate in more than 20 discount programs specifically designed to meet the needs of contractors. Whether you are looking to purchase a new vehicle for your fleet or for ways to cut costs on fuel and shipping, AGC programs can save you money. Enroll and maximize the value of your membership. Discover more.
Take advantage of this AGC member benefit today! Call or visit us Online Today 800-406-9614 www.compgroupagc.org
Our dedicated specialist has years of experience handling complicated power needs for the construction industry.
Reliant will request your temporary meter from the TDSP and can manage the transition from temporary to permanent power.
Call: 1.855.350.8656 or visit reliant.com/agc for more information.
New Members
|
||||||||||
|
