On Sept. 19, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing for two nominees to serve on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Janet Dhillon and Daniel Gade, Ph.D. Dhillon, who was nominated by President Trump on June 29, has served in executive and legal roles for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently as executive vice president of Burlington Coat Factory Investment Holdings.

On Sept. 16, President Trump nominated labor attorney Peter B. Robb to serve as General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Robb, who currently serves as the director of labor and employment at the law firm Downs Rachlin and Marin, previously served as chief counsel to former NLRB Member Robert Hunter (R) and as special labor counsel to the law firm Proskauer Rose from 1985 to 1995.

Cutler Associates Inc. of Worcester, Mass., a member of ABC’s Massachusetts Chapter, 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.

On Aug. 29, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is initiating a review and immediate stay of the effectiveness of the pay data collection aspects of the Employer Information Report or EEO-1 form that was revised on Sept. 29, 2016, under the Obama administration.  

ABC Greater Baltimore President and CEO Mike Henderson was recently invited to testify before a congressional subcommittee seeking answers on how to address declining employment among working-age men. He pointed to the chapter’s Project JumpStart, widely regarded as the most effective workforce development program of its kind in the region, as part of the solution. The program not only trains workers for high-paying careers in construction, but places graduates in professional jobs with dozens of area employers in commercial construction. 

On Aug. 31, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas granted a motion for summary judgment against the U.S. Department of Labor’s burdensome and costly overtime rule and converted his earlier preliminary injunction (issued Nov. 22, 2016) to a permanent injunction. ABC participated in the business coalition that achieved this outcome, and ABC General Counsel Maury Baskin of Littler Mendelson P.C. filed the successful motion for summary judgment.  

Last month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a schedule of meetings that will offer the public the chance to discuss the definition of “Waters of the United States (WOTUS).” Following a proposal to rescind the Obama-era WOTUS rule in July, EPA and the Corps published a notice in the Federal Register on Aug. 28.

On Sept. 18, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require employers to use the revised version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, with a revision date of 07/17/17 N. Employers must continue following existing storage and retention rules for any previously completed Form I-9.

SouthCon Building Group LLC of Mount Pleasant, S.C., a member of ABC’s Carolinas Chapter, 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.

We have all been affected by the scenes that continue to unfold of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit our country.  When the flood waters recede, ABC contractor members and their employees will be asked to help rebuild Houston and other communities along the Texas Gulf Coast.