Related Links: Text of Kline-Miller pension amendment Link to statements from contractor and union groups supporting the pension proposal Statement from LIUNA General President O'Sullivan opposing proposal Congress has approved legislation to revamp the multiemployer-pension program in an attempt to bolster plans that are in dire financial shape.The pension policy changes, which are part of a $1.1-trillion 2015 spending package the Senate passed late on Dec. 13, would allow sponsors of multiemployer plans in “critical and declining” condition to temporarily or permanently cut members’ vested benefits.It also would mandate a doubling in the annual per-member premiums the plans pay to
Related Links: NLRB Fact Sheet on rule, including a link to final rule and dissent Court Strikes Down New NLRB Rule (ENR May 2012) The National Labor Relations Board has adopted a final rule that seeks to speed its process for carrying out union representation elections.Organized labor supports the regulation but business organizations criticize it as the "ambush" rule, because, they contend, it would not give companies enough time to prepare for an election.Denise Gold, Associated General Contractors of America associate general counsel, said that a coalition of business groups plans to file a legal challenge to the regulation in
Related Links: Summary of House-passed tax "extenders" bill from Rules and Ways and Means Committees Link to open Joint Committee on Taxation revenue-impact estimate of House-passed bill Legislation to reinstate some expired tax breaks and extend other, soon-to-expire provisions has cleared the House and was awaiting final congressional action at ENR press time.Among the key construction-related provisions are a one-year extension of measures aimed at assisting ailing multiemployer pension plans. Multiemployer plans are common in unionized construction. Supporters of the extension include the laborers' union.The bill also would retroactively allow a tax credit for facilities that generate electricity from wind
Related Links: ENR Editorial "Easy Ways to Help Small Firms" (11/10/2014) House DOD Bill Includes Design-Build Individual Sureties Amendements A U.S. House-approved $585-billion Dept. of Defense authorization bill includes design-build provisions that will benefit contractors and architects who seek DOD projects, including a cap on the number of short-listed firms and a ban on "reverse auctions."The bill, which the House passed on Dec. 4 by a bipartisan 300-119 vote, is expected to clear the Senate before the lame-duck session ends. The House had approved a different version of the measure in May but the Senate never acted on it.The newly
A former Bechtel Corp. vice president has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he took $5.2 million in kickbacks on electric-power contracts in Egypt over a 15-year period, the Dept. of Justice has said.Asem Elgawhary, 73, a former Bechtel principal vice president, pleaded guilty on Dec. 4 in federal district court in Greenbelt, Md., to one count each of mail fraud, conspiracy to engage in money laundering and interfering with administration of tax laws.Elgawhary’s attorney did not immediately reply to an ENR request for comment.DOJ said that, from 1996 to 2011, Elgawhary was general manager of Power Generation Engineering and
Related Links: Transcript of 12/1/14 oral arguments Supreme Court's New Term Includes Two Key Cases The U.S. Supreme Court justices asked tough questions of both sides during Dec. 1 oral arguments in a case that centers on the government’s authority to issue interpretations of its own regulations without public input.The case could have significant implications for construction employers and small businesses that face real costs to comply with federal regulations.The case stems from an interpretive rule, issued by the Labor Dept. in 2010, that requires mortgage banks to pay loan officers overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act.The Mortgage Bankers
Related Links: EPA proposed regulation for ground-level ozone (signed 11/26/14 EPA press release on proposed ground-level ozone (smog) standard The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a tougher standard for levels of ground-level ozone, or smog, contending that the change will prevent hundreds of premature deaths and tens of thousands of asthma attacks.Environmental groups and their congressional allies praised the proposal, but leading Republican lawmakers strongly criticized the plan.The proposal, which EPA Administration Gina McCarthy signed on Nov. 26, would trim the ozone limit to a range of 65 to 70 parts per billion (ppb), from the current level of 75
Related Links: EPA announcement Private Sector Taps Federal Funds to Jumpstart Biofuels Infrastructure The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to postpone the release of its 2014 renewable fuel standard regulations will create uncertainty within the biofuels market and may cause investors to scuttle plans to build refineries in the U.S., biofuel advocates told reporters at a Nov. 24 briefing. The standards—known as renewable volume obligations—set requirements for blending biofuels, such as ethanol, into gasoline at gasoline pumping stations.EPA announced on Nov. 21 that it would not issue its 2014 renewable percentage standards until sometime in 2015. In addition, EPA will
Related Links: White House transcript of Obama's address on immigration executive order President Obama has announced that he will issue an executive order that would prevent millions of immigrants now in the U.S. illegally from being deported, but only temporarily and if they meet certain conditions, including registering with the government, passing a background check and paying what he termed their “fair share of taxes.”The directive, which Obama announced on Nov. 20 in an evening address to the nation, also provides deportation protection only to those who have been in the U.S. for more than five years and those who
Related Links: NASBO State Expenditure Report for FY 2014 (see chapter 8 for capital spending) States hiked their total spending on infrastructure, equipment and other capital-budget items by an estimated 2.4% in fiscal year 2014, to a total of $91.8 billion, a new National Association of State Budget Officers report says.NASBO’s latest annual state expenditures report, released on Nov. 20, says that transportation accounted for the largest share of overall FY 14 capital spending, with an estimated $56.1 billion, up 3.7% from 2013. Brian Sigritz, NASBO director of fiscal studies, says, “We saw a handful of states that increased gas
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