Blog
USDA Abandoning Illegal Blacklisting Provisions
WASHINGTON, July 26-In response to Associated Builders and Contractors’ and federal contractor opposition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture scrapped controversial blacklisting provisions targeting federal contractors in a proposed rule published in the Federal Register today specific to the USDA’s procurement policies. “The USDA’s decision to drop unnecessary and duplicative blacklisting provisions harming federal contractors is a victory for…
ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator Inched Higher in June, Contractors Remain Confident
WASHINGTON, July 9-Associated Builders and Contractors reported today that its Construction Backlog Indicator increased to 8.4 months in June, according to an ABC member survey conducted June 20 to July 3. The reading is down 0.5 months from June 2023. View ABC’s Construction Backlog Indicator and Construction Confidence Index tables for June. View the full Construction Backlog Indicator and…
ABC Shares the Truth About President Biden’s Harmful Project Labor Agreement Policies at U.S. House Oversight Hearing
ABC National staff and an ABC member testified at the June 27, 2024, U.S. House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee hearing on President Biden’s controversial policies promoting and mandating anti-competitive and inflationary project labor agreements on federal and federally assisted projects. The hearing–Cutting Competition in Contracting: The Administration’s Pricey Project Labor Agreement Mandate–held by the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and…
OSHA Issues Heat Injury and Prevention Proposed Rule
Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued its Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings proposed rule. OSHA’s proposed rule would apply to all employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction and require employers to…
2024 ABC National Legislative Conference
This week, your Chapter Government Affairs team and the Board of Directors traveled to Washington, D.C., for our annual Legislative Conference. The two-day intensive conference dives into the numerous policy and regulatory changes that impact our industry. We heard from industry leaders across the country, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, about recent changes and how…
Letter: Biden’s union-only approach is costly to Buffalo taxpayers
Recently, White House senior adviser Thomas Perez touted federal investments in multiple infrastructure projects in Buffalo. But these projects will bear an unfair and unnecessary high price tag, due to President Joe Biden’s divisive, union-only agenda that raises costs on construction projects funded by taxpayers while shutting out nearly 90% of the eligible U.S. construction workforce during…
Construction Materials Prices Decrease in May for the First Time Since December
Construction input prices decreased 0.9% in May compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices decreased 0.8% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.1% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction…
An ABC Member’s Guide to The 2024 New York State Legislative Session
An ABC Member’s Guide to the 2024 New York State Legislative Session The 2024 New York Legislative Session has officially ended. In total, the Senate and Assembly passed 1,679 and 960 bills, respectively; 805 of these bills have passed both houses and will await action by the Governor over the next several months. While the…
Construction Job Openings Decrease By 8,000 in April, Fall to Lowest Level Since March 2023
The construction industry had 338,000 job openings on the last day of April, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. JOLTS defines a job opening as any unfilled position for which an employer is actively recruiting. Industry job openings…
Led by Energy, Construction Materials Prices Surge in April
Construction input prices increased 0.5% in April compared to the previous month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Producer Price Index data released today. Nonresidential construction input prices increased 0.6% for the month. Overall construction input prices are 2.3% higher than a year ago, while nonresidential construction…