On Dec. 19, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule entitled, “clarification of employer’s continuing obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of each recordable injury and illness.” The final rule goes into effect Jan. 18, 2017.

ABC sent letters to members of congress last week urging them to pass legislation that would bring much-needed regulatory relief to contractors. The ABC supported legislation included Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2017 (HR 26) and the Midnight Rules Relief Act of 2017 (HR 21) both of which passed the U.S. the week of Jan. 2 Additionally the House of Representatives Regulatory Accountability Act of 2017 (HR 5) is expected to pass the House this week.

On Dec. 19, 2016, the Employment and Training Administration issued a final rule updating the equal employment opportunity regulations that implement the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 by amending 29 CFR Part 30. Current regulations prohibit discrimination in registered apprenticeship programs on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, and sex. The final rule updates the equal employment opportunity standards to include age (40 or older), genetic information, sexual orientation and disability among the protected base that cannot be discriminated against.

ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman sent President-elect Trump a letter urging him to guarantee government neutrality in federal construction contracting on January 4. The letter urged President-elect Trump to rescind President Obama’s Executive Order 13502, which encourages federal agencies to require project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal contracts to build projects of $25 million or more on a case-by-case basis, and replace it with the executive orders 13202 and 13208, which prohibit PLAs from being required on federal and federally assisted construction projects.

Save the date and support the competitors of the 2017 National Craft Championships by volunteering to serve as a judge. All judges must be an ABC member and have a demonstrated expertise in one of the following crafts

Kentucky became the 27th Right to Work state and 21st state without a prevailing wage after Gov. Matt Bevin signed ABC-supported legislation. The free enterprise-based laws are historic victories for the merit shop platform and provide tremendous momentum at the state level to begin the 2017 legislative season.

President-elect Donald Trump named Andy Puzder as his choice to serve as Secretary of Labor Dec. 8. Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants, which owns the fast food restaurants Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, is a long-time advocate for job creation. He also served as an advisor to the Trump campaign during the presidential election. 

President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office on January 20, 2017, to formally become the 45th President of the United States. The 58th presidential inauguration involves a swearing-in ceremony at the United States Capitol, followed by a luncheon, and then a parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. For updates on the Inauguration Day festivities, visit the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies’ website.  

More than a dozen ABC members took advantage of the inaugural ABC at AU program in Las Vegas Nov.14-16. Autodesk University (AU) draws hundreds of construction professionals from all size businesses to see, touch, and try the latest industry technology and attend any of the 180 construction related classes.

On Nov. 18, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued the Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment (Fall Protection Systems) final rule. This is an update for general industry and does not change the construction standard. This update could impact maintenance activities being completed on a facility. OSHA indicated that under the final rule they have worked to align the general industry standard with the construction standard.