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On August 26, �۽�ֱ�� of America submitted comments on the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed rule to establish a new system for government approval of apprenticeship programs that would operate in parallel with the existing registered apprenticeship system. The new system would provide for recognition of “Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs” through an expedited and streamlined process. The proposed rule states that the construction industry would not “initially” be eligible to participate in the new system.

On August 23, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a notice seeking public comment on two “interim” policies: one to limit environmental impact statements to a maximum of 150 pages – with a recommendation that they “not exceed” 75 pages – and the other to coordinate those federal reviews under the “One Federal Decision” executive order with a goal of completing them within two years. Both directives are intended to speed up the environmental review process for transportation projects.

On �۽�ֱ��’s latest podcast episode, we speak with two industry experts on how construction firms can best prepare for and handle the aftermath of a crisis. We discuss the logistical implications of crisis preparedness as well the imperative to address the psychological and emotional repercussions of job site accidents. Additional resources and customizable tools – developed by our guest speakers Tyler Henson with J.E. Dunn Construction and Patricia Kagerer with Gallagher – are available on �۽�ֱ��’s website here.

�۽�ֱ�� of America’s Union Contractors Committee will hold its next conference call on September 10 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.

The National Labor Relations Board has issued a proposed rule addressing union recognition in the construction industry. �۽�ֱ�� plans to submit comments prior to the October 11, 2019, deadline.

Forty-two states added construction jobs between June 2018 and June 2019, while construction employment increased in 30 states from May to June, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of Labor Department data released today. Association officials said the new construction employment data demonstrates the need for new federal investments in career and technical education programs, along with immigration reform.

On July 15, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) officially opened the Web-based portal for the reinstated EEO-1 collection of pay and hours worked data for calendar years 2017 and 2018. The EEOC also provided a series of Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) regarding the new requirements and a More Info Page to assist filers. The More Info page provides additional resources such as a sample form, an instruction booklet, a user’s guide, a fact sheet, and reference documents.

Registration is now open for the 2019 Construction HR and Training Professionals Conference and pre-conference Strategic Management Workshop to be held October 9-11, 2019, in Chicago, IL.

Negotiators conducting collective bargaining between January and June of this year agreed to raise construction craft workers’ wage and fringe benefits by an average of 2.8 percent or $1.65 during the first contract year, 2.7 percent or $1.65 during the second contract year, and 2.7 percent or $1.67 during the third contract year, according to the Construction Labor Research Council’s (CLRC) latest Settlements Report. While these numbers are all slightly lower than those reported last year, CLRC notes that the data should be considered preliminary for the year, as many additional settlements are likely to be added to CLRC’s database during the second half of the year.

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