On Dec. 12, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its long-awaited final rule that overhauls the procedures for union representation elections. Under this controversial rule, the amount of time between when a union files a representation petition and an election takes place likely will dramatically be reduced from the current average of 38 days. The changes are currently scheduled to take effect on April 14, 2015, unless a court or Congress blocks enforcement of the new rule.

Through ABC’s Project Management Institute, owners, project managers and estimators can take the next steps to a more productive and profitable business. The 80-hour course, held at Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., equips construction professionals with resources and tools to manage the quality, budget and unexpected changes on your projects, but ultimately to increase profit and client satisfaction.

In the most recent regulatory agenda released Nov. 21, expected action items from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are outlined and include the Clean Water Act, the Power Plant Rule and the Lead Paint Renovation Repair and Painting Program. 

New in 2015, a team competition for journey-level craft professionals will be added to the lineup of National Craft Championships (NCC) events with teams of five representing electrical, pipefitting, millwright, carpentry and insulation crafts. The teams will demonstrate how the crafts work together to simulate real-life working conditions and to highlight their skills. If you have a craft professional who you want to participate in the inaugural team competition, complete an Intent to Compete form by Jan. 9.

The Dec. 9 spending bill released by the House omitted the controversial and ABC-opposed language supported by members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus that would have increased costs to taxpayers by reducing competition from qualified federal contractors. If it had passed as a part of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (H.R. 83), also known as the CRomnibus, the language would have prohibited any funds from being used to enter into a contract with any company that discloses a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) within the last five years through the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS).

In addition to the OSHA and federal contracting regulations, the latest regulatory agenda, released Nov. 21, outlines the Department of Labor’s (DOL) plan to move forward with the controversial persuader rule and overtime requirements among other important rules affecting the construction industry.

Federal Contractors should be on the lookout for a number of items listed in the latest regulatory agenda, released Nov. 21, which lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year. 

Join ABC and a growing list of industry professionals in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 23-25, for the annual Public-Private Partnership Conference (P3C), one of the largest gatherings of government and industry development professionals in the country.  The conference will host more than 750 owners, industry executives, key decision-makers, and more than 100 speakers for three days of in-depth learning, business development, and networking opportunities to address the critical principles behind successful public-private partnerships (P3).  

In his 2015 economic forecast released Dec. 9, ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu relayed his forecast for a steady recovery among the U.S. commercial and industrial construction industries in 2015, continuing the momentum built in 2014.

Important Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation and enforcement deadlines—such as for the employer mandate ("pay or play") and information reporting requirements—are approaching quickly. Make sure you are prepared by taking advantage of the resources ABC is offering, including a recent webinar on how these complex ACA requirements could impact your company in 2015.