On March 29, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it would make 30,000 H-2B visas available for previous H-2B workers who have worked in the United States for one or more of the past three fiscal years. Earlier this year, Congress included a provision in the Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 116-6) that allowed for DHS to release more than 69,000 additional H-2B visas above the 66,000 annual cap. 

ABC joined a coalition of construction and business associations urging President Trump to eliminate government-mandated project labor agreements and allow for the vast majority of qualified contractors and their skilled employees to compete for federal and federally assisted taxpayer-funded construction projects.

On March 11, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by the Arizona State Building and Construction Trades Council that aimed to block enforcement of parts of a pro-taxpayer Arizona law restricting government-mandated project labor agreements.

ABC sent a letter of support to Congress urging passage of the Workforce for an Expanding Economy Act (H.R. 1740) introduced by Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.). The bill would create a new visa program for non-farm, temporary foreign workers and includes important protections for employers and employees, ensuring that jobs remain available for hardworking Americans.

From interviews to editorials and many articles in between, Women in Construction Week, March 3-9,  showcased the voices of women from all areas of the construction industry. 

Following the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania’s Jan. 11 decision to strike down the state Department of Transportation’s project labor agreement mandate for the Markley Street reconstruction project, PennDOT withdrew their appeal of the decision on March 7.

On March 8, H.R. 1, the For the People Act, passed the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives by a party line vote of 234-193. ABC sent a letter in opposition to the legislation, arguing that it is an attack on free speech and would cripple the business structure of nonprofit associations such as ABC. 

On March 8, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced the launch of the new Section 503 Focused Review Landing Page, which is intended to provide contractors with helpful information and assistance in implementing best practices and increasing the employment of individuals with disabilities.

On March 7, the U.S. Department of Labor unveiled its long-awaited proposal to update and revise the “white collar” overtime exemption regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which DOL estimates will make more than one million new workers eligible for overtime pay.

ABC is hosting the upcoming webinar, “Understanding the Impact of OFCCP’s Recent Policy Changes on Federal Contractors” at 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday, March 19. Lance Gibbons, Shareholder at Littler Mendelson P.C., will lead the webinar and discuss recent activity at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and what federal contractors need to know.