President Biden ended 2022 with a bang by signing two new pieces of legislation into law that will impact many employers and their pregnant and breastfeeding workers: (1) the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and (2) the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act). These changes were part of the Omnibus Spending Bill signed into law on December 29, 2022. Employers should become familiar with the changes and review their policies and practices to adjust for the new laws.
91¶ÌÊÓƵ of America will be holding a Collective Bargaining Seminar during the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Annual Convention. The day-long seminar will take place from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, NV. The seminar is part of 91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Annual Convention, but 91¶ÌÊÓƵ members and chapter staff not attending the convention may attend for a separate registration fee.
According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction support staff wages are to rise by an average 4.5%. The prediction is based on data gathered from over 209 companies in the 19th edition of PAS’s Construction Support Staff Salary Survey. This is up from the actual increase of 4.4% for 2021. Looking forward, PAS thinks 2023 support staff increases will likely mimic 2022 activity, unless construction conditions change.
On Jan. 18, the Associated General Contractors of America joined a coalition representing a broad cross-section of the economy in filing a lawsuit to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers’ new Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule. The legal action seeks to have the new rule put on hold and ultimately reversed. The construction industry invests a significant amount of time and cost in compliance with the Clean Water Act and to avoid or reduce potential impacts on the environment. The new rule is the sixth time the requirements have changed in seven years, compounding the existing uncertainty in an area of law that can not only significantly delay and increase costs on projects but also bring criminal as well as civil penalties.
In a decision issued on Dec. 16, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board reinstated its prior standard providing off-duty workers employed by contractors more expansive rights to access publicly accessible areas of the workplace for the purpose of engaging in union organizing activity.
New guidance instructs federal agencies to develop implementation rules that would quantify greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and incorporate the social cost of carbon in cost/benefit analysis that could impact permits for construction projects.
On January 12, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sided with 91¶ÌÊÓƵ in tentatively denying an environmental group’s effort to force contractors to dispose of discarded PVC as a hazardous waste.