Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) March 6 signed S.B. 119, which will exempt K-12 and higher education school construction from state prevailing wage requirements beginning immediately.

ABC congratulated the winners of the 25th annual Excellence in Construction Awards, including Contractor of the Year Brasfield & Gorrie, March 5 at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

On March 9, Wisconsin became the 25th state to enact a Right to Work law, allowing all workers in the state to have a job without paying dues or fees to a labor union.

Seven ABC member companies, representing 26 chapters, were ranked in Fortune Magazine’s annual “Top 100 Companies to Work For” list. They include: Acuity, Plante Moran, Baker Donelson, PCL Construction, Ernst & Young, TDIndustries and Hilti.

During the Careers in Construction Awards Ceremony March 6, ABC recognized Holley Thomas, a foreman for KBR, Houston, Texas, as its 2015 Craft Professional of the Year and Jonathan Sacks, transmission and distribution training manager for Cianbro, Pittsfield, Maine, as its 2015 Craft Instructor of the Year. The awards were presented during ABC’s Workforce Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 

An updated summary of employer requirements included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is available for ABC members in a reference document provided by Washington Council Ernst & Young. The document is available on the Health Care Law Employer Toolkit (login required) on ABC’s website.

ABC congratulated the winners in its 2015 National Craft Championships competition during the March 6 Careers in Constructions awards held during the association’s Workforce Development, March 3-6, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 

A joint resolution to halt the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) controversial ambush election rule passed the U.S. Senate March 4 by a vote of (53-46) after being introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), ABC supported the bill, and sent a letter to each Senator urging its passage and informing them that ABC would consider the vote as a key vote on its 114th Congressional Scorecard.

The Trimmer Construction Education Foundation (TCEF) re-launched its auction and now you can bid on some of the top items from your phone. The funds go to TCEF, a non-profit, charitable organization that funds efforts to train and retain the construction industry workforce through grants, scholarships and financially supporting annual ABC competitions and awards. Auction items include golf packages, beach vacations, Texas-style BBQ, cases of wine and much more. 

ABC’s Regulatory Alert provides an overview of federally mandated rules, regulations and enforcement actions from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal agencies. Following are brief summaries of current issues, as well as links to more detailed information and guidance.