On April 20, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division released its schedule of upcoming Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Wage Surveys. These voluntary surveys are used by the WHD to determine the prevailing wage rate for construction workers on federal and federally assisted projects over $2,000.<

On April 22, ABC, as a steering committee member of the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, submitted comments in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s request for additional comment on its “potential provisions or approaches” to a final Occupational Exposure to COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings ru

From May 2-6, ABC will observe Construction Safety Week and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction with a social media campaign sharing tools and resources. ABC encourages its members to participate in these events and renew their commitment to keep all workers safe on all jobsites.

On April 18, the Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget issued a memo providing initial implementation guidance to federal agencies on the application of a “Buy America” preference for materials used in infrastructure projects.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s rulemaking reverses the much-needed efforts of the previous administration to update and streamline the federal environmental review and permitting process. Modernizing this process would be a bipartisan win, as both sides of the aisle have long identified the need for faster, more efficient permitting. While Congress recently passed legislation providing an unprecedented investment in our nation’s infrastructure, including language specifically calling for streamlined environmental review, today’s rulemaking will delay the completion of these critical projects and increase costs for the construction industry an

ABC continued to fight against government-mandated project labor agreements through a media campaign publicizing a letter recently sent to the White House with more than 1,200 signatures from members and chapters. The campaign garnered coverage of the importance of fair and open competition for construction projects on Fox Business (reach: 13.5 million) and in The Washington Post (67.7 million), among others.

The ABC Florida East Coast and Central Pennsylvania chapters recently hosted their first construction technology events in order to help their members use technology to develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably. ABC’s Tech Alliance and Tech Marketplace members were featured speakers at the event.

Earlier this month, the U.S. House and Senate established a conference committee to continue debate on the House-passed H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, and the Senate-passed S. 1260, the United States Innovation and Competition Act. Both bills contain troubling, restrictive labor policies that would dilute the effectiveness of the legislation and limit opportunities for much of the construction industry to participate in new programs authorized under these bills

On April 12, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a National Emphasis Program—Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Hazards, which expands on the agency’s ongoing heat-related illness prevention initiative and campaign by setting forth a targeted enforcement component and reiterating its compliance assistance and outreach efforts.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division previously announced that it is reviewing its overtime regulations. DOL is now offering five regional virtual listening sessions in May and June and would like to hear feedback from employers on possible revisions to the regulations. Learn more about the dates, times and how to register for the virtual regional meetings.