On April 12, ABC submitted comments in response to the U.S. Department (DOL) of Labor Wage and Hour Division’s proposed rule on establishing paid sick leave for federal contractors. The proposed rule  requires certain federal contractors to offer employees up to seven days of paid sick leave annually, including paid leave for family care. The paid sick leave required by the proposal is in addition to a contractor’s obligations under the Service Contract Act (SCA) and Davis-Bacon Act (DBA). Therefore, a contractor may not receive credit toward its prevailing wage or fringe benefit obligation under the SCA and DBA for paid sick leave provided in satisfaction of the

New analysis from the U.S. Department of the Treasury shows that the construction industry pays the highest effective tax rate—the percent of income businesses actually pay in taxes—of any sector of the economy. According to the report, the typical construction company faces an average effective federal tax burden of 30.3 percent, well above the 23.3 percent average for all US businesses.

ABC of Michigan secured an important victory for electricians when Gov. Rick Snyder (R-Mich.) signed industry-backed Public Act 73  of 2016 on April 5. ABC of Michigan advocated for the legislation, which will increase the ratio from one to three apprentices per one journeyman electrician through an amendment of the Electrical Administrative Act. State Rep. Amanda Price (R-Holland) introduced the bill in January in response to a court decision in 2008 that lifted an injunction and cleared the way for a one-to-one ratio to be implemented. 

On April 12, ABC joined more than 60 national and multi-state organizations across the country in sending a letter  to members of the House Committee on Ways and Means urging them to take action on the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act (H.R. 2911 ).  The bill would allow small businesses that have fewer than 50 employees to offer employer payment plans and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) to employees for the payment of premiums or qualified medical expenses associated with insurance coverage.

On March 17, a group of lawmakers introduced ABC-supported legislation that would prevent the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from implementing its overtime proposal. The proposed rule issued last June more than doubles the salary threshold to qualify as a white-collar employee exempt from federal overtime pay requirements and would automatically increase the salary levels on an annual basis.

On April 1, ABC submitted comments in response to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) proposed revisions to the Employer Information Report (EEO-1), which would require employers with 100 or more employees to provide data on W-2 pay and hours worked, beginning in 2017. ABC urged the EEOC to withdraw the proposal because it imposes an unjustified burden on employers, fails to generate useful and reliable information to combat pay discrimination, and fails to protect the confidentiality of the information. 

This year’s National Craft Championships featured a record 210 participants, with competitors from 32 states showcasing their skills in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition to being honored at NCC, this year’s competitors have also gained significant coverage in their local media. Leading up to and in the month since NCC, competitors have been featured in 23 news outlets.

ABC Workforce Week ’16 attracted well over 500 attendees, with 55 educational sessions, 50+ exhibitors and plenty of excitement. Surveyed shortly after the conference, 91 percent said they planned on returning next year. Highlights included the ABC Innovation Theater, where attendees got a chance to see into future of the construction industry with the latest in software technology, a live exoskeleton demonstration and drone display. ABC Workforce Week '16 was a remarkable demonstration of what makes our association great.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 23 – Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) today issued the following statement in response to the release of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) final “persuader rule.” The rule will greatly limit the ability of employers, particularly small businesses, to obtain advice from labor relations experts, and in turn deprive employees of their right to obtain balanced information about union representation.

On Feb. 18, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced new procedures  that give a charging party access to a respondent’s position statement and supporting documents in the course of an employment discrimination investigation.  Under these procedures, the charging party or the party’s representative may request to view the respondent’s position statement and its supporting attachments if they were filed in response to an EEOC demand made on or after Jan. 1, 2016.  Once the EEOC releases the statement, the charging party will have twenty days to file a response; however, this response will not be available to the