ABC said the Trump administration’s action to undo the harmful impacts of the Affordable Care Act by promulgating a new final rule on association health plans (AHPs) was welcome. AHPs are a common-sense solution to expand access to affordable health coverage and lower the cost of health care for small businesses.

Cianbro Corporation of Pittsfield, Maine, a member of ABC’s Maine Chapter and five others, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC. The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.

ABC reports that its Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) contracted to 8.8 months during the first quarter of 2018, down 9 percent from the prior quarter. CBI is down 2 percent on a year-over-year basis. “The Construction Backlog Indicator hit an all-time high during the fourth quarter of 2017,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu.

On June 15, OSHA announced that it will extend the comment period on its proposal to ensure crane operators are qualified to safely operate equipment by an additional 15 days. Comments will now be accepted through July 5, 2018.

Prices for inputs to construction materials expanded 2.2 percent in May and are 8.8 percent higher than at the same time one year ago, according to an ABC analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This represents the largest monthly increase in 10 years (since May 2008). Nonresidential construction input prices increased 2.3 percent for the month and 8.9 percent for the year.

A study released by the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence found that the prevailing wage determination process utilized by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry leads to inaccurate wage rates on construction projects. A disproportionate 75 percent of prevailing wages reflected union rates in the period analyzed in the study, even though just 32 percent of private construction workers in Minnesota belong to a union.

The Michigan Legislature voted to repeal Michigan’s prevailing wage law, a 50-year-old law that overcharges taxpayers on public construction projects and limits competitive bidding opportunities for Michigan workers. The historic vote makes Michigan the 24th state without a prevailing wage law. 

On Friday, June 1, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would provide an additional 15,000 H-2B visas for non-agricultural seasonal workers. Earlier this year, Congress included a provision in the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus spending bill that allowed for DHS to increase the number of H-2B visas above the 66,000 statutory cap.

On May 31, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Acosta and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, visited a jobsite of Omega Construction, an ABC member headquartered in Winston Salem, N.C. Secretary Acosta and Rep. Foxx toured the Hotel Indigo renovation, guided by Omega Construction President Barry Hennings, and met with employees and apprentices.

Nonresidential construction spending remained unchanged in April on a monthly basis, according to an ABC analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. However, year-over-year spending was up a sturdy 6.1 percent.