| November 3, 2015
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In This Issue |
Events
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Education/
Training
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Safety
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New Members
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Membership Benefits
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AGC News
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Member News
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Here's Looking At You
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News You Can Use
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 Quick Links |
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Events |
Tuesday, November 3,
2015
Election Day
Cast your vote today! There are seven proposed state constitutional amendments in addition to our local ones. AGC Houston encourages everyone to vote in this election.
Find out where the top five mayoral candidates stand on issues such as the building permit process, minority participation requirements and the budget deficit here.
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Thursday, November 5,
2015 4:30 - 6 p.m. at Crisp in The Heights
Register today for our last Member Mixer of the year! All attendees receive two tickets for a chance to win an iPad Mini, and all general contractors present will be entered into an additional drawing for a fishing trip, courtesy of R & M Service Company, Inc. Tickets include reception food and beverages.
$30 - At the door (cash preferred)
Thanks to our Member Mixer sponsor, Reliant Safety Solutions, LLC
Free for general contractors!
R & M Service Company, Inc. will be giving away an offshore fishing trip, which includes bait, tackle, ice and deck hand. All general contractors present at the Member Mixer will be entered into an additional drawing for this trip.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015, 6 - 8 p.m. at Brenner's On The Bayou - Blue Bar
Join in the merriment at the AGC/AIA Joint Meeting - a tradition for more than 50 years!
$35 for food, libations and merriment. Early bird discount ends tomorrow
$45 after November 4.
Thanks to our generous sponsors:
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Open To All Human Resources, Labor And Employment Specialists, Attorneys
Thursday, November 12, 2015
7:30 - 9 a.m.
The Employment Practices Committee specializes in issues facing human resource professionals, labor and employment attorneys and anyone dealing with Department of Labor issues. Open to all AGC Houston members interested in Department Of Labor compliance issues and HR best practices. Contact Charlene Anthony for details.
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Education/Training |
In 2016, AGC Houston will be awarding Patrick J. Kiley Excellence In Leadership scholarships to deserving students. Do you know of anyone who could use the money for higher education?
Scholarship application deadline is February 1, 2016.
To date, the scholarship has generated more than $393,000 and helped to fund students' dreams of earning a degree in a construction-related discipline. Students who qualify are evaluated on their personal and professional commitment to advance their education, career and the commercial construction industry.To apply and for more information, see link below.
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Learn how to comply with contractual obligations concerning insurance and to assure compliance of other involved parties.
Early bird discount pricing ends November 3, 2015.
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Learn techniques for managing risk and how the scope and nature of risk management
varies based on project contracting methods.
Early bird pricing ends November 11, 2015.
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This course covers the OSHA standards for the construction industry found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1926 along with other relevant policies, procedures, and safety and health principles for the construction industry.
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Safety |
Due to the Thanksgiving holidays, there will not be a Safety Committee meeting in November.
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This class will provide managers, foremen, competent persons, and workers with basic information regarding entry into
confined
spaces. The course covers OSHA regulations, permits, atmospheric condition hazards, physical hazards, and monitoring.
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This national award competition
recognize companies that have developed and implemented excellent safety and loss prevention programs achieved through management commitment, employee involvement, and program innovation. All AGC Houston contractor members that excel at safety performance are encouraged to submit applications for each division and occupational category.
There has been an important change this year: The two-year sit-out
requirement for the past
year's first place winners has been removed.
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A hands-on training course using field appropriate application intended for supervisors and workers involved in rigging or hoisting operations while using cranes, heavy equipment, truck cranes or other equipment in any industry.
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This course is designed to provide
an entry-level construction
worker with general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site.
Early bird pricing ends November 6, 2015.
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Meet the requirements of OSHA Paragraph 1926.50, which calls for a person on the
jobsite to have a valid certificate in first aid training in the absence of infirmary, clinic or physician that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite.
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This course is designed for entry-level construction workers. The course provides information about worker rights, employer responsibilities, how to file a complaint, and provides basic awareness training on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of workplace hazards.
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New Members |
James Miller
1304 E. 40th Street Houston, Texas 77022
(713) 459-3461
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Jaime Balzac
5814 Heffernan Houston, Texas 77087
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Membership Benefits |
NPP Membership is free. All you have to do is register! Featuring Verizon, Expedia, Sherwin Williams, Fleet Management, Office Supplies and more. Call 800-810-3909.
An effective safety program can help keep your employees on the job, reduce your premium and earn your company dividends. CompGroup AGC was created in 1993 by various Texas members of the Associated General Contractors of America to provide a better option for workers’ compensation coverage.
Contact your insurance agent and tell them you want a CompGroup AGC quote or contact program administrator Roberts & Crow at 800-406-9614 — ask for Julie Schatz.
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AGC News |
On October 8, President Obama signed a bipartisan bill into law—the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act or PACE Act. The PACE Act amends the definition of "small employer" for purposes of the non-tax portions of the Affordable Care ACT (ACA). Under the law, states have the option to continue defining "small employer" as an employer with fewer than 50 employees in 2016.
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Beginning in early 2016, information reporting provisions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act require many employers to file annual information returns with the Internal Revenue Service and provide annual statements to employees containing health plan coverage information.
The returns must be furnished to employees by January 31,
2016 and filed with the IRS by February 28,
2016 if filed on paper or March 31,
2016 if filed electronically. AGC Houston has all the information employers need regarding Forms 1094 B & C and Forms 1095 B & C. Sign in to the Member's Only section of the AGC Houston website, and see "Health Insurance Reporting Requirements" under the Employment Practices Committee Articles tab.
The AGC Houston Employment Practices Committee is meeting November 12 at 7:30 a.m. to discuss this and other relevant issues to promote and guide best practices. Please contact Charlene Anthony for more information.
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Last week there was movement in both the House and the Senate towards reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. The Act is a federal program that distributes more than $1 billion each year to the states to support career and technical education (CTE). The bill was last authorized in 2006 but has been funded through the annual appropriations process since it expired.
In the Senate, the offices of Senators Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Casey (D-Pa.) have begun bipartisan work to reauthorize the bill. The Senators reached out to the CTE Community looking for specific policy recommendations for the reauthorization process.
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The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has issued a nationwide stay of the new federal regulation redefining "waters of the U.S." (WOTUS) for the purposes of the Clean Water Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed and then finalized the new regulation in an effort to clarify the scope of the statute’s requirements.
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Join your fellow AGC members as the 97th Annual AGC of America Convention heads to the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, March 9-11, 2016. As AGC's premier event each year, the AGC Annual Convention and Technology & Construction Solutions Expo is the ideal opportunity to see everything AGC can do for you and your business. Join us for more than 15 education breakouts, terrific networking events and industry leading speakers, all in a perfect location for business, culture, family and fun!
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Member News |
Berger Iron Works will be hosting a tour on Thursday, November 12 from 3 - 4 p.m. You are invited join their team for an insider's experience that will include a tour of their facility and the opportunity to learn about their design processes, tools, and fabrication systems. Berger Iron Works received the AIA Houston 2014 Artisan of the Year award in September.
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More than 500 guests cued up on Wednesday, October 28 at R&M Service Company's headquarters to enjoy the company's fish fry. Now in its 14th year, the annual event is attended by a broad spectrum of individuals representing Houston's design/build community. All hands were on deck to greet guests, fry fish, and serve fried Tilapia, fish tacos, sides, desserts and drinks. The lively event was held under a massive canopy, complete with live band. Pictured bottom left are R&M Service Company employees Victor Leal and Moises
Soirano, serving fish tacos.
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Here's Looking At You |
Congratulations to the latest class of construction industry professionals who just completed the OTIEC/OSHA 500-Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for Construction Industry. AGC Houston is proud to partner with the Region VI OSHA Education Center at The University of Texas at Arlington.
The OSHA Education Center at The University of Texas at Arlington is the top-ranked OSHA Training Institute Education Center in the country. The center provides OSHA- prescribed professional and regulatory instruction through educators who have decades of real world experience and leadership. Read more below about AGC Houston's Safety and Risk Management Services.
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News You Can Use |
Harris County plans to accommodate growth, alleviate congestion and fund amenities through four bond proposals in the upcoming Nov. 3 election. The bonds total $848 million, with the largest proposition providing $700 million for road projects. "It won’t be that many years until there’ll be more people living in the unincorporated area of Harris County than in Houston," Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said. "In the mid-'60s, 77 percent of people who lived in Harris County lived in Houston. Now that number is rapidly approaching 50 percent."
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The Greater Houston Partnership announced the release of its Fall Impact Report. Among its highlights, The Partnership successfully advocated for legislation in our three priority areas during the 84th Legislative Session, which will help ensure our region's continued growth and success. Our three priorities included: early education, transportation and economic development incentives.
The Partnership also urges Houstonians to support Proposition 7 for transportation funding.
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AGC Houston, in conjunction with ACE Mentor Program, invites all AGC Houston members to take part in and help sponsor the Build It Forward community projects that will be held on November 21, 2015 at Marek Brothers Systems, Inc. from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Leadership AGC Class of 2016 participants will be heading up teams of high school students who are currently interested in pursuing studies in architecture,
construction and engineering.
Each year, ACE Mentor students participate in a community service by building a furniture project, which is then donated to local charities. ACE Mentor needs material and team sponsors to help "Build It Forward."
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Engineering News-Record recently reported on rising pay for construction workers.
With construction spending continuing to rise toward pre-recession peaks and worker shortages growing for both open shop and union contractors, compensation of craft trades has seen a significant bump—the largest in nearly three decades for some firms.
"It’s a great time to be a craft person," says Jeff Robinson, President of Personnel Administrative Services (PAS), a Michigan open-shop pay research firm.
The rise in craft compensation coincides with increased construction spending in the U.S., which posted a 13.7% year-over-year gain in August, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Residential construction put in place in August was up 16.4% year over year, says Ken Simonson, Associated General Contractors of America’s Chief Economist.
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On Saturday, November 14, 2015, Uptown Houston will be recognized as an exceptional patron of architecture and urban design at the Rice Design Alliance gala. Since its formation in 1987 as the city’s first management district, Uptown Houston has established the area around the Galleria as a commercial and residential destination and world-class example of decisive urban development, with ongoing projects fostering greater mobility on Post Oak Boulevard and lasting stewardship of Memorial Park.
AGC Houston is proud to sponsor the event as a benefactor and to be have supported the RDA for the past 25 years!
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Many projects detailed in Fort Bend ISD’s $484.2 million bond program are moving forward this year to address overcrowding in the district’s schools as well as maintain existing campuses.
Fort Bend Independent School District will break ground on four new elementary schools in 2016 and will continue installation of various enhancements to existing schools and programs to accommodate the growing student population."That takes long-range planning and you have to think ahead because you can't just snap your fingers and have a building pop up," said
Grayle James, president of FBISD’s board of trustees.
The district began construction on Anne
McCormick Sullivan Elementary School—the first school to be funded by the 2014 bond program—in May and expects to finish construction on the other elementary schools by 2018, district officials said.
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