A study released in August by the Beacon Hill Institute found that New Jersey schools built under controversial government-mandated project labor agreements cost 16.25% more than schools that were bid and constructed through fair and open competition, free from PLA requirements.

On Sept. 19, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division published a notice in the Federal Register to announce that the minimum wage for federal contractors will increase to $10.80 per hour from the current $10.60 beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

On Sept. 24, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted 12-11 to advance the nomination of Eugene Scalia to serve as the secretary of labor. The nomination will move to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

On Sept. 12, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed the final rule rescinding the 2015 final Clean Water Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States," also known as the WOTUS final rule. ABC President and CEO Michael Bellaman attended the signing ceremony for the rulemaking.

The Hitt family recently donated a $16 million gift to the Act on Addiction campaign, a program launched by Inova Health System that fuels awareness, combats stigma and provides resources for those suffering from substance abuse in the Northern Virginia area. There are nearly 20 million American adults who suffer from addiction, and a recent survey says that approximately half of adults do not know how to help someone in need of treatment or support.

In light of a recent court decision, certain employers will be required for the first time to submit detailed data on employee compensation and hours worked (or Component 2 data) for calendar years 2017 and 2018 to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as part of their annual EEO-1 form submission by Sept. 30, 2019.  

On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Republican special election candidates Greg Murphy and Dan Bishop won their highly anticipated respective congressional campaigns in North Carolina.

September is Suicide Prevention Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the construction industry has the highest rate of suicide, as well as the highest number of suicides among all industries. This is a public health crisis, and ABC is committed to doing better for our workforce and their families.

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.