Help us generate a comprehensive outlook for 2022 by taking the survey today

Each year around this time, AGC asks you – our members – to predict what next year will be like for your business. AGC has partnered with Sage to prepare questions that focus on expectations for market performance, hiring, labor market conditions, etc. Please take a moment to complete the survey here. AGC of America will use the survey results to help make the case with elected and appointed officials in support of key member priorities. The more people who complete the survey, the more effective the results will be in supporting our work on your behalf.

Yesterday, AGC of America, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) and the Signatory Wall & Ceiling Contractors Alliance (SWACCA) filed a petition for review of OSHA’s new COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The groups explain that the new rule will put many construction companies at grave risk of losing a substantial number of their workers to smaller companies, instead of leading to more people getting vaccinated in the sector.

AGC of America is releasing a new series of COVID-19 vaccine PSAs designed to encourage construction professionals to get their shot. The series will feature testimonials from workers who did not get their shot, contracted COVID and nearly died. They are now urging their co-workers to get their shots. Other videos feature construction mentors talking about the value of the vaccine. You can view the current videos here.  The videos urge people to visit AGC of America’s vaccine toolkit to learn more.

 

On Monday, November 15, President Biden signed the AGC-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), into law. This bill will become law after a determined effort by AGC and its members—sending nearly 100,000 messages to Congress—to push it over the top. As a reminder, AGC put together this summary and also this myth v. fact document. Additionally, a breakdown of what’s in the bill for each construction market can be found here: Highway Contractors; Utility Contractors; Direct Federal Contractors; Building Contractors; and Other Markets (Transit, Rail, Waterways, Airports).

On November 4, the White House announced that the deadline for direct federal contractors to have their employees fully vaccinated under the federal contractor vaccine mandate will be same as the new OSHA ETS: January 4, 2022. Previously, the deadline for direct federal contractors was December 8, 2021. It is important to note that federal contractors will still see the contract clause mandating vaccination in federal solicitations, new contracts, etc., as none of the other dates relevant to federal contractors have changed. As of Nov. 4, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force website has been updated to reflect the extended deadline.

 

Rising construction materials prices appear to be starting to drive up the price of construction projects, according to an analysis by AGC of America of government data released recently. Association officials noted that despite a big jump in what contractors charge for projects, the rise in materials prices is still much higher.

 

The purpose of the CSEA is to recognize those construction companies who excel at safety performance. The CSEA closely examines each candidate's commitment to safety and occupational health management and risk control. Unlike other safety award programs that limit the criteria to frequency rates, the CSEA selection process is considerably more comprehensive.

The November/December 2021 issue of Constructor magazine is now available! Meet Millie the Labrador Retriever in our cover story and read about her contributions to construction workplace safety. In addition, this issue includes the much-anticipated Future Focus section, featuring:

• Tech Talk 2021
• What Puts the Fab in Prefab?
• The Paperless Journey

 

Reentering civilian life after serving in the military can be extremely difficult for veterans, especially when it comes to finding meaningful, long-term employment. The goal is to align the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) developed during military service to work in the most significant way.
BY SHANE MCKENZIE, DIRECTOR – VETERANS PROGRAM AND
SEAN PERSEO, AMBASSADOR – OUTREACH PROGRAMS
SUNBELT RENTALS, A MEMBER OF MULTIPLE AGC CHAPTERS

 

In collisions between motor vehicles and wild animals, the animal almost always loses. That doesn’t mean the cars win though. Collisions with large animals can damage cars and injure or kill the people inside them. It’s particularly bad in the case of large, high-traffic roads where an animal must dodge high-speed vehicles across multiple lanes. Wildlife continue to try to cross the road, however, because of biological imperatives: to feed or to mate. The animals can’t solve the problem we imposed on them.
BY STEVEN MILLER

 

As we trudge through the pandemic and its economic uncertainty, one thing is clear: we must continue to win work. While there seems to be no shortage of RFPs, our ability to build relationships with the clients behind the RFPs and to truly do the early work of discovery is heavily weighted towards the established relationships we built pre-pandemic. The old rule that 80-percent of our work comes from existing clients and 20-percent is from new is in question. 
BY FRANK LIPPERT, FSMPS, CPSM
A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BEST PRACTICES SERIES ARTICLE

The Empowering Women in Industry initiative has nominated Kaylin Leas, a TDIndustries, Inc. (TD) partner, for Tradeswoman of the Year. Empowering Women in Industry is an online community with the mission to connect, educate and empower women to not only inspire the next generation of leaders, but provide a community for those currently leading.

 

Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) connects the military community — service members, military spouses, and veterans — with American businesses to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce. For details on any event, please visit the Hiring Our Heroes Calendar.