ABC and 40 of its chapters joined the More Time for Full-Time Initiative in urging the Senate to co-sponsor the Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2015 which would restore the traditional definition of full-time employment to 40 hours per week in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)which currently defines full-time as at least 30 hours per week. 

The U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 13 voted 250-175 in favor of the ABC-supported Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 185). Prior to the vote, ABC sent a letter urging Congress to support the legislation stating that it will ensure greater accountability from federal agencies and result in increased transparency in the federal rulemaking process. 

OSHA issued a Letter of Interpretation Jan. 15 clarifying the new reporting standard for severe injuries on the jobsite which went into effect Jan. 1. The interpretation letter provides a definition of an amputation and also how to distinguish between an amputation and an avulsion. In addition, the letter goes on to discuss whether the loss of an eye includes the loss of sight. 

Contractors looking to enhance their employees’ project management skills can enroll them to take part in the ABC Project Management Institute held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. The course includes two non-concurrent five-day sessions providing the students with tools to improve profitability and productivity and increase quality and customer satisfaction. 

The leader of Philadelphia’s Ironworkers Local 401, Joseph Dougherty, was convicted Jan. 20 on charges of racketeering conspiracy and counts of vandalism and extortion. The court found him guilty of and responsible for the use of arson, intimidation and violence in order to secure jobs for members of the union. The conviction came more than two years after the Quaker Meetinghouse jobsite of longtime ABC member E. Allen Reeves, Inc., of Abington, Pa., was the target of vandalism during the 2012 Christmas holiday causing an estimated $500,000 in damages.

As a leader in the construction industry, you have to always stay on top of the newest industry trends, the best practices among project management and business development and how to address issues such as workforce development and safety within your company. Join us in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 3-6, during the Workforce Conference as we bring together construction professionals and top executives throughout the country to share and collaborate on ways to become the best in the industry.

ABC is reminding its contractor member firms that 2014 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 300A work-related injury and illness log summaries must be posted in a visible spot on all construction sites Feb. 1 through April 30. 

The ABC Heart of American Chapter and OSHA formalized an alliance to protect the safety and health of Missouri and Kansas construction workers during a signing ceremony Jan. 15. 

This year, Autodesk released a new form of licensing called Desktop Subscription, or as some call it, rental licenses. As an ABC member, you can get this subscription service with minimal cost through ABC Project Virtual.

ABC of Texas and the Central Texas Chapter of ABC filed a lawsuit Jan. 13 challenging the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) ambush election final rule. The suit was filed jointly with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Texas in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.