Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) will be joining us as the keynote speaker at the Free Enterprise Alliance Reception June 23 during Legislative Week. Sen. Ernst, elected in November 2014, is the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate. Join us June 23 as we hear from Sen. Ernst and her thoughts on today’s political environment as it relates to ABC, the construction industry and the merit shop.

The U.S. Senate passed the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget (S. Con Res 11) for Fiscal Year 2016, May 5 which contains ABC-supported language adopted during Senate Vote-A-Rama, that would restrict the use of government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs). The budget was previously passed by the House on April 30. 

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act April 30 for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 2029). While on the floor, two amendments were introduced that impact federal contractors.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have issued three surveys soliciting comments from the construction industry on the potential use of project labor agreements (PLA) on projects in California and Texas. 

As a member of ABC, you have the opportunity to attend the Petrochemical Engineering & Construction Conference, June 16-17, New Orleans, La., and get an exclusive $100 registration discount. The conference will bring together the leading operators and contractors working at the heart of North America’s largest petrochemical construction projects.  

OSHA released its latest version of their “Job Safety and Health—It's The Law!” poster April 29 which employers must display if covered by the OSH Act or be subjected to citations or penalties if they fail to do so. Employers do not need to replace previous versions of the poster. The poster is free and can be downloaded on OSHA’s website. 

OSHA issued a final rule for confined spaces in construction on May 4, which mirrors the general industry standard but adds certain provisions tailored specifically to the construction industry including an emphasis on training, monitoring and evaluating, as well as communication on multi-employer sites. The rule is set to go into effect August 3.

The Departments of Homeland Security and Labor released two H-2B regulations April 29 that will affect employers utilizing the H-2B program. The regulations include a final rule determining the wage methodology for temporary non-agricultural workers under the H-2B visa program, and an interim final rule (IFR) that includes a new employer registration process, increased recruitment and oversight, requirements for guaranteed pay, additional fees, and similar payment for corresponding U.S. workers.

ABC submitted comments April 24 to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the proposed rule for the operation and certification of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as drones. ABC offered its input on how the proposal will affect the construction industry’s ability to use drones on project sites. 

In the construction industry, safety should be the number one priority on every jobsite and with the increased use of new technology such as BIM, the industry is finding ways to not only reduce onsite injuries, but to reduce the overall construction schedule at the same time.