Are you developing an environmental management program for your company? The resources on the ԹϺ-supported online Construction Industry Compliance Assistance (CICA) Center will support you in your efforts and make CICA a great starting point. CICA provides tools on planning for and managing compliance, and it is a clearing house of information on the top federal and state rules that you will need to keep track of through your environmental program.
“Contractors, labor representatives and owner-clients in the union construction and maintenance industry are significantly more optimistic about growth opportunities in 2017 and beyond (+20%) compared to last year, but they also report an increasing pervasiveness in union craft labor shortages,” reports The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC) in a recent press release announcing the results of the 2017 Union Craft Labor Supply Survey conducted by it and the ԹϺ-supported Construction Labor Research Council.

On June 15, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order instructing the Labor Department to investigate how it can cut back the federal government’s role in creating and monitoring apprenticeship programs, a move that the White House claims will help fill vacant jobs.
Join us at ԹϺ’s 2017 Construction Environmental Conference on September 13-14, in Crystal City, Virginia!
Environmental Groups Organize Trump ‘Resistance’
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the agencies) announced the pre-publication version of a proposed rule to rescind the Obama-era 2015 “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule that defines what streams, wetlands and other wet areas are controlled by the federal government and subject to all the permitting and other requirements of the Clean Water Act. This action is the first step in a comprehensive, two-step process intended to review and revise the definition of WOTUS consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order on “Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the ‘Waters of the United States’ Rule.”

Construction employment increased in 245 out of 358 metro areas between May 2016 and May 2017, declined in 59 and stagnated in 54, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that construction employment gains in many parts of the country are occurring even as most firms report having a hard time finding qualified workers to hire.

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule to rescind the controversial “persuader rule” issued by the previous administration. ԹϺ plans to submit comments in support of the rescission prior to the August 11 deadline.
Legislation Includes Needed Reforms to Makes it Easier for School Districts to Teach Construction Skills and Improves Employer Engagement