On Sept. 14, the National Labor Relations Board published a proposed rule that would establish an updated standard for determining joint-employer liability under the National Labor Relations Act. The proposal aims to foster predictability, consistency and stability in the determination of joint-employer status, and therefore clarifies the standard in a way that promotes meaningful collective bargaining and advances the purposes of the NLRB.

More than 500 ABC members gathered in Washington, D.C., during ABC Legislative Week 2018 for meetings with top administration and congressional leaders on the issues that impact the merit shop construction industry at both the federal and state levels. Members attended the ABC Diversity & Inclusion Summit, Young Professionals Symposium, Free Enterprise Alliance Reception, Legislative Day and Legal Conference.

ABC reports that its Construction Backlog Indicator expanded to a record 9.9 months during the second quarter of 2018. Backlog is up 12.2 percent from the first quarter and 14 percent compared to the same time last year. “Construction backlog has never been higher in the history of this series,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “While contractors collectively reported a higher backlog, it was the industrial contractor segment that had the largest increase in the second quarter.”

On Sept.13, ABC sent a letter to the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee to voice support for Tax Reform 2.0 legislation, which would build on the successes of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by providing permanency to the nation’s tax code and certainty for ABC member companies and their employees. The committee passed the bill on a party-line vote of 21-15, and it is expected to receive a vote on the House floor later this month. 

More than 100 industry leaders and key stakeholders came together for the fourth annual Diversity & Inclusion Summit to discuss the value of diversity in construction and promote the association's mission within diverse groups during ABC Legislative Week 2018. They engaged in thought-provoking discussions and learned from solution-based recommendations to help ABC members build diverse workplaces and supplier networks.

Prices for inputs to construction fell 0.5 percent in August but are 8.1 percent higher than at the same time one year ago, according to an ABC analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Nonresidential construction input prices fell 0.4 percent in August but are up 8.3 percent year-over-year. Softwood lumber prices plummeted 9.6 percent in August yet are up 5 percent on a yearly basis (down from a 19.5 percent increase year-over-year in July).

With Hurricane Florence approaching the East Coast, OSHA is reminding contractors of resources to help keep construction workers safe during natural disasters. Hurricane season peaks in September, and wildfires are still burning throughout the Pacific Northwest and from California to Colorado. OSHA urges employers to be prepared to keep their workers safe during extreme weather events. The agency’s Emergency Preparedness and Response webpage provides information on protecting workers before and after hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods and other natural disasters strike. 

The U.S. construction industry added 23,000 net new jobs in August, an increase from the 18,000 net new jobs added in July, according to an ABC analysis of data supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The industry has added 297,000 net new jobs since August 2017, a 4.3 percent increase. Nonresidential construction employment increased by 9,600 net jobs in August, although the heavy and civil engineering category lost 200 net jobs for the month.

On Aug. 30, the U.S. Department of Labor launched apprenticeship.gov, a digital platform designed to bring together workers in search of apprenticeship programs and the employers offering these opportunities across multiple industries.

On Aug. 28, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced the Department of Labor’s new Office of Compliance Initiatives, which aims to promote greater understanding of federal laws and regulations and provide innovative approaches to compliance assistance and enforcement.