Republican leaders of three congressional committees sent a letter July 15 to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council, and other Obama administration officials, requesting that the proposed guidance and regulations for the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673 (known as the Blacklisting EO) be withdrawn. This letter was sent a few days after the DOL and the FAR Council announced a two-week extension of the notice and comment period for the Blacklisting proposal to August 11.  

ABC members have more time to respond to a proposal implementing President Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673, known as the “blacklisting” EO, signed July 31, 2014. The public comment deadline for a proposed rulemaking issued May 28, by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council and proposed guidance by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implementing the blacklisting EO has been extended from July 27 to August 11.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced July 9 a 60-day temporary enforcement policy of its Confined Spaces in Construction standard, effective Aug. 3. The announcement postpones full enforcement of the new standard to Oct. 2 in order to allow for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the new rule.

President Obama’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673, known as the “blacklisting” EO, was signed July 31, 2014. A proposed rulemaking issued May 28, by the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council and proposed guidance by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) implementing the blacklisting EO is open for public comment until July 27.

At the direction of President Obama, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule on June 30, that would change federal overtime exemptions for administrative, executive, professional, and computer professional employees—the so-called "white collar" worker classifications that have long been exempt from being paid time-and-one-half for working hours over 40 per week.  

Associated Builders and Contractors of West Virginia (ABCWV) voiced its concerns over the newly presented methodology for the calculation of prevailing wage rates in West Virginia after Workforce West Virginia released a summary of its report on June 1. The report, a product of prevailing wage reform legislation (S.B. 361) signed  March 12 by West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D), illustrates how new methodology will determine  forthcoming prevailing wage rates on state-funded public improvements.  However, because Workforce West Virginia failed to publish its new prevailing wage calculations by the July 1 deadline because lawmakers complained t

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulatory agenda was released on May 21 and lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year. The most recent agenda focuses on overtime requirements, the persuader rule and more. 

As part of a coalition, ABC submitted comments June 15 to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Department of Education (DOE) on proposed rules for the implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). ABC and the coalition offered its input in a number of areas where the public workforce system under WIOA can be better aligned with the needs of employers.

The latest OSHA regulatory agenda was released on May 21 and lists the priorities of the administration and the rulemakings they expect to release this year regarding rules on silica exposure, recordkeeping and more. 

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 2578) June 3 and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal year 2016 (H.R. 2577) June 9 without either problematic, ABC-opposed amendments that would unfairly harm federal contractors and increase costs to taxpayers and the federal government.