The ABC Business Partner AIA Contract Documents released seven new documents on June 20, including new BIM and Digital Documents, a new document family called Program Management, and three free guides.  

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) is requesting comments on the use of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for a project in Biloxi, Miss. The project will include the renovation of two buildings at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Economists from ABC, American Institute of Architects and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) gave their perspectives June 17 about where the construction economy is headed during an online news conference. As a whole, things are improving, but recovery will continue to be slow unless more jobs are created.

To help members get a greater understanding of their obligations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or health care law, ABC Merit Choice Insurance is offering a “Health Care Reform Overview for Contractors.” 

ABC Business Partner General Motors is offering special Fleet Out-of-Stock Bonus Cash now through July 1. 

More than 350 ABC members and chapters traveled to Washington D.C., June 12 to meet their members of Congress. They also heard from Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) during the ABC Legislative Conference breakfast.

ABC celebrated a victory June 10 after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) signed a bill (S.438) into law that will prohibit state government entities from requiring contractors to sign a project labor agreement (PLA) with labor unions as a condition of performing work on public construction projects.

ABC submitted comments June 9 opposing an interim final rule on how wages for temporary, non-agricultural H-2B workers should be calculated. The “emergency” interim final rule, issued April 24 by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Labor (DOL), was effective immediately. 

ABC awarded former National Chairman James (Jim) W. Elmer, founder and president of James W. Elmer Construction Co., Spokane, Wash., a Life Membership award. He was presented this honor June 11 at ABC’s National Board of Directors meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a survey requesting feedback from the construction industry about including a government-mandated project labor agreement (PLA) in a solicitation for a federal contract to build a new air traffic control tower exceeding $25 million in Tucson, Ariz.