What defines the best of the best? ABC’s Top Performers lists—the only rankings of their kind—recognize member contractors’ achievements in safety, quality, diversity, project excellence and special designations, ranked by work hours. You must achieve STEP Gold or higher and earn the Accredited Quality Contractor designation to qualify—applications are due by Nov. 1 for consideration in the rankings.

On Sept. 12, the U.S. Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service will hold a webcast providing employers with compliance assistance on the joint final rule on health reimbursement arrangements.  

On Aug. 15, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration published a  Request for Information seeking comment on Table 1 of the agency’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction. 

On Aug. 12, the National Labor Relations Board published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled Representation-Case Procedures: Election Bars; Proof of Majority Support in Construction Industry Collective-Bargaining Relationships, which proposes amendments to the representation election regulations. 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs recently published several compliance assistance guides to provide federal contractors with resources on recordkeeping, postings and notices, technical assistance and more.

Last week, ABC’s Vice President of HSE and Workforce Development, Greg Sizemore, made a presentation to the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee on the importance of continuing workforce development reforms at the state level.

On June 25, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a proposed rule on apprenticeship programs that would establish a process for creating high-quality, industry-recognized apprenticeship programs by organizations that apply to become DOL recognized Standards Recognition Entities. DOL’s new release on the proposal is available here.  

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published several resources to protect workers from various hazards related to summertime weather, such as hot weather and hurricanes.

In a victory for ABC, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu vetoed legislation that would have imposed prevailing wage requirements on state projects for the first time since the law was repealed in 1985 on July 19. 

Last week, Timothy Mongeau, ABC’s director of workforce development, spoke on the Workforce Development for Veterans Through Apprenticeship panel during the National Association of Drug Court Professionals All Rise 2019 conference, the world's largest conference on addiction, mental health and justice reform.