On Feb. 13, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) introduced the Jobs and Premium Protection Act (H.R. 928), which would fully repeal the health insurance tax (HIT) provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ABC-supported coalition, Stop the HIT, sent a letter commending Boustany and Sinema for coming together to repeal the burdensome tax.

In an article written by ABC’s Strategic Partner Viewpoint, Mobile Product Manager Bryan Fangipane, addresses how using mobile technology on the jobsite can increase productivity and ease communication. The article also examines certain ways advanced technology can ultimately save you money.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance in December 2014 clarifying their Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) policies regarding employees who are subject to federal prevailing wage statutes. 

Can’t make it to the Workforce Conference in Florida next month? Send one of your employees instead and they can learn more about best practices in the industry, network with their peers throughout the country and bring back information to implement in the office or in the field. The conference will take place March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and offers sessions for employees of all levels of expertise and focuses on education for mechanical and electrical contractors, business and project managers, safety professionals and workforce development professionals. 

Four finalists have been chosen for ABC’s Craft Professional of the Year award one of them will be chosen as the winner March 6 during the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Craft Professional of the Year award is presented each year to an individual who exhibits outstanding skills and leadership in his or her craft. This year’s winner will receive a 2015 Ram Tradesman truck sponsored by Tradesmen International.

A group of Congressmen Feb. 9 wrote a joint resolution Feb. 9 that would stop the implementation of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ambush election rule. The resolution was introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), with the support of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Sen. Alexander is chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Rep. Kline is chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education.

During his first State of the State address on Feb. 2, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) called for reforms related to project labor agreements (PLAs) and prevailing wage requirements that will help empower Illinois residents and drive economic growth.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued two surveys soliciting comments from the construction industry on the potential use of a project labor agreement (PLA) for projects in New Jersey and California.

Nonresidential construction spending grew 0.4 percent on a monthly basis in Dec. 2014, according to the Feb. 2 release from the U.S. Census Bureau. Spending for the month totaled $627.1 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis, 5.9 percent higher than Dec. 2013. The government also upwardly revised November’s spending estimate from $617 billion to $624.8 billion and October’s figure from $623 billion to $627.4 billion. “Despite the slight expansion indicated in today’s report, nonresidential construction lost some of its momentum during the final two months of 2014; however, this should represent only a minor dip in the indu

Suffolk Construction Company, Inc., West Palm Beach, Fla., member of the ABC Florida East Coast Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.