Beginning Jan. 1, 2016, the minimum wage for workers on covered federal contracts and service contracts will increase to $10.15 per hour from $10.10 per hour in 2015. The increase is dictated by the Oct. 7, 2014, Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division final rule that implemented Executive Order 13658.

Each person who enters our industry is on the path to earning a competitive salary, learning a new skill and building America with their own hands.  Yet there is a severe shortage of skilled and professional workers in the merit shop construction industry.The Trimmer Construction Education Foundation (TCEF) was created by ABC to bring talented young men and women into the pipeline and provide them with training that leads to successful and gratifying careers, and now it’s easier than ever for you to help advance this mission. You can contribute $100 or more to TCEF when you renew your membership in ABC thanks to a check box right on your dues invoice.

At our Construction Management Career Fair on Nov. 11, in San Diego, Calif., ABC is giving our members the invaluable opportunity to recruit their next top performers from a group of top-tier students from all over the country. 

Encouraging the young professionals in your organization to grow both professionally and personally can have a major impact on your overall business. During ABC's Leadership Development Track, Nov. 11-12, in San Diego, Calif., young professionals in your company will learn the skills needed to become leaders and team players and to communicate effectively with your clients and other industry professionals.

ABC and ABC’s Inland Pacific Chapter celebrated a victory Sept. 16 when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit set aside a lower court’s decision against an Idaho law that banned government-mandated project labor agreements (PLAs) on taxpayer-funded construction projects.

On Sept. 14, ABC, along with a coalition of nearly 400 business groups sent a letter to U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Ranking Member Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) urging them to support the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 (S. 2006).

ABC’s third annual Users Summit is just around the corner and ABC members can invite their user clients to attend the summit for free! This year’s User’s Summit will be held Oct. 8-9 in St. Pete Beach, Fla., and will include sessions and programming for both industrial and health care segments.

The next time you renew your membership in ABC, you will see an added contribution on your invoice for the Trimmer Construction Education Foundation (TCEF). Trimmer is ABC’s partner to help expand our skilled workforce and the affiliated 501(c)3 nonprofit organization is a critical part of ABC’s commitment to expand merit shop training programs and promote construction careers.

A group of lawmakers Sept. 9 introduced ABC-supported legislation to help restore the “joint employer” standard under the National Labor Relations Act that has been in place for over 30 years. The standard was overturned by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in its Aug. 27 ruling in the Browning-Ferris Industries of California case.

On Sept. 10, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued its final rule prohibiting federal contractors and subcontractors from terminating or otherwise discriminating against employees who discuss their compensation with co-workers or job applicants. This rule implements the Obama administration’s Equal Pay initiative under Executive Order 13665 and will take effect on Jan. 11, 2016.