AGC News
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released a set of 53 Frequently Asked Questions to provide guidance to employers and employees regarding OSHA’s respirable crystalline silica standard for construction. The FAQs are extensive and organized by topic. A short introductory paragraph is included for each group of questions and answers to provide background information about the underlying regulatory requirements. AGC has assembled a four-page document with some of the clarifications and a PDF version of all the FAQs for members’ convenience. AGC encourages its members to review all the FAQs to assist in their compliance efforts.
Visit https://advocacy.agc.org/osha-publishes-new-silica-frequently-asked-questions-for-construction/ to view the full article online.
"Construction job gains over the past year were more widespread across the country than at any time since the beginning of 2016," said AGC of America chief economist Ken Simonson. "These results show that contractors are still optimistic about future construction activity. But it will be hard to sustain the increases unless more students learn of these opportunities and receive appropriate training." Texas and Nevaga gained the biggest construction jobs. Texas added the most construction jobs during the past year (57,600 jobs, 8.1 percent).
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2018/08/17/construction-employment-rises-45-states-and-dc-july-2017-july-2018-while-29-states to view the full article online.
Recently, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) released the latest version of their set of standard contract documents, covering a wide range of agreements necessary to construction. It includes the General Conditions of the Contract for Construction (AIA A201), which governs the relationship between owner and contractor, and is incorporated into its architect agreement. AGC did not endorse this contract.
Visit https://www.constructormagazine.com/nonconsensus/ to view the full article online.
The construction industry is experiencing record
economic activity with low unemployment and little expectation that the current
domestic workforce can alone meet employment demand.
Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would allow contractors to hire year-round construction guest workers, who otherwise have no legal immigration avenue. The Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act would provide industries like construction access to tens of thousands of new temporary workers while protecting Americans and alleviating incentives for individuals to enter the country illegally.
Visit https://advocacy.agc.org/votervoice/?vvsrc=%2fCampaigns%2f60406%2fRespond to view the full article online.
Each year the AGC Education and Research Foundation offers undergraduate and graduate level scholarships to students enrolled in ABET or ACCE accredited construction management or construction related engineering programs. The application closes November 1, 2018.
Through endowments made by AGC members and supporters, as well as AGC Chapters, the Education and Research Foundation awards over 150 scholarships each year to students dedicated to pursuing a career in the construction industry.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=518108&issueID=60722 to view the full article online.
AGC of America is now accepting applications for its 2019 AGC Diversity & Inclusion Awards program. This award seeks to raise awareness of the value a diverse workforce and inclusive environment brings to a company by bringing attention to diversity and inclusion champions within AGC. Visit https://www.agc.org/diversityawards to view the full article online.
Message from the President/CEO
Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the German chemical company BASF ran an ad campaign with the slogan, "At BASF, we don't make a lot of the products you buy; we make a lot of the products you buy better." This statement came to my mind recently while editing project narratives for the APEX show guide.
Reading through the information, one can only be amazed at some of the incredible projects our members deliver to meet the needs of our dynamic and growing region.While we celebrate the excellence of the projects submitted, it is equally important to realize the role these structures will play and the needs they will fill in the upcoming years:
- Hospitals – population in the region is expected to grow by nearly 1 million over the next five years; there were over 100,000 births in Houston are hospitals last year;
- K-12 – with more than 1.3 million K-12 students in the greater Houston area and with the projected population growth, the new schools are a must;
- Facilities for the homeless – There are currently over 3,600 homeless individuals in the Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery County areas;
- Drug treatment and recovery research – In 2016, 116 people died every day from an opioid-related drug overdose;
- Senior living facilities – by 2020, there will be more than 77 million people over the age of 60 requiring more assisted living accommodations;
- Recreation and entertainment – theaters, arenas, stadiums and art centers were all a big part of construction in the last two years.
When considering the depth and breadth of our industry, what it takes to get a project built from conception to certification of occupancy is an amazing feat. But the bottom line is that is exactly what our members do. They build.
On September 22, 2018, we will be recognizing some of our members' finest contributions to the greater Houston area at the APEX Gala Awards. I hope you will help us Celebrate Construction From The Ground Up and join the A/E/C industry as it comes together that evening at the Houstonian. For tickets and sponsorship information, please click here.
We are extremely proud of our members and their process for building these world-class structures.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=518345&issueID=60722 to view the full article online.
Member News
Cherry Companies hosted its 10th annual customer appreciation on Thursday, August 9 at the Crowne Plaza at NRG Park. A wide array of construction-related companies and representatives of the A/E/C community attended the bash, as well as local public servants. Mayor Sylvester Turner dropped in and visited with AGC Houston's Jerry Nevlud and Jay Carlton and Jae Elias of Sterling Structures. Cherry Companiesserves as one of the largest recyclers in the Gulf Coast Area and recycled more than two million tons of concrete and asphalt in 2017. Cherry annually recycles 50,000 tons of steel and is a major producer of a complete range of recycled aggregates.
Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=518336&issueID=60722 to view the full article online.
News you can Use
Situation Remains Very Fluid Concerning Next Steps As a result of a federal court ruling on August 16, the Obama administration's 2015 "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) rule—which expands federal environmental permitting jurisdiction involving wetlands—is now in effect in 26 states. AGC published an in-depth look at the 2015 WOTUS rule when it was finalized. The association will provide its membersadditional guidance in the coming days, but we caution a measured approach for the moment as this issue is still developing and the situation may change again in short order.
Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2018/08/21/court-ruling-puts-2015-wotus-rule-effect-26-states to view the full article online.
National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Peter Robb has issued a memorandum about the NLRB’s new approach to cases charging that employee work rules or employment policies (also referred to as employee handbook policies) unlawfully interfere with employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
Visit http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/agchr/issues/2018-07-18/4.html to view the full article online.
Texas-based cabinet manufacturer Kent Moore Cabinets LLC will pay $175,458 in back wages to 59 employees to resolve overtime, minimum wage, and recordkeeping violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) found in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD). WHD investigators found that the employer failed to pay overtime to service technicians. Kent Moore Cabinets LLC incorrectly classified these employees as exempt from overtime, and paid them a guaranteed wage plus commissions for their primarily manual labor. The service technicians received no additional compensation when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek, in violation of the FLSA’s overtime requirements. The company also failed to maintain accurate pay and time records for these employees, violating the FLSA’s recordkeeping provisions.
Visit http://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/pdf/OPA-FINAL_18-1115-DAL_WHD_KentMooreCabinets.pdf to view the full article online.
Membership Benefits
Our innovative, cloud-based software with integrated recruiting and ATS, onboarding, performance management, learning management (LMS) and succession planning can make your HR experience simple and user-friendly for both management and employees.
Visit https://www.agc.org/BDHR to view the full article online.
Here's Looking at You
 AGC Houston's Construction Leadership Council hosted its annual golf tournament at Hermann Park Golf Course Friday, August 10, 2018. Players and sponsors helped to raise $10,000 for the AGC Patrick J. Kiley Excellence in Leadership Scholarship Fund. AGC Houston's Jerry Nevlud along with Shannon Davis, Marek Brothers Systems, Inc., John Barnes, Linbeck Group, LLC, and Danny Struzick, Gallant Builders, presented a check at the awards ceremony. The sold out event drew more than 150 construction industry professionals, with a record number of women participating this year! To mark the event's 10th anniversary in 2014, the CLC Committee donated a flagpole, complete with the United States and Texas flags to the Hermann Park Golf Course.
Thank you to our sponsors and congratulations to the winners:
- First Place: Cadence McShane Construction
- Second Place: AGC Vets In Construction
- Third Place: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP
- Closest To The Pin: John Barnes - Linbeck Group, LLC
- Longest Drive: William O'Connor - Century Asphalt Materials
- Dead-Ass-Last: McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
- Hole-In-One: Daret Vrazel - Marton Roofing Industries, Inc.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/pg/AGCHoustonChapter/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155910090779117 to view the full article online.
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