Today, SWACCA joined its allies in the Construction Employers of America in sending a letter to House Republican and Democratic leadership expressing the group’s support for the Small Business Payment for Performance Act, an amendment to the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that would require federal agencies to make timely partial payments for agency directed changes to a federal construction contract.

A few weeks ago, a bill (SB 116) was introduced in the Ohio Senate that would make drastic changes to the unemployment compensation system in Ohio. The bill would reduce the maximum number of weeks that workers can receive benefits from 26 to 12 and lower the weekly benefit amount by 10%. It would also impose stricter work search requirements and penalties for workers who quit their jobs or refuse suitable work offers. The bill is sponsored by Senator Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin), who claims that it would prevent fraud and save money for the state's unemployment trust fund.

Alas, the Greater Cleveland Partnership has shown its true allegiance regarding community benefits. For the last ten years, this local chamber of commerce has been raising money under the notion that they are holding developers accountable for providing benefits back to the community in exchange for lucrative public financial assistance on their projects. In the beginning, GCP’s efforts seemed admirable, but it didn’t take long to see what was really going on.

The General Services Administration (GSA) announced a six-month pilot of new requirements for the procurement of substantially lower embodied carbon construction materials for eleven GSA projects funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

Workers Memorial Day - observed this past Friday April 28, 2023 - a day in which the nation takes pause to remember those who lost their lives while on the job while paying tribute to the family members who loved them. 

In advance of tomorrow’s House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing on independent contractors, Construction Employers of America (CEA) submitted a letter detailing the impact that employee misclassification has on the construction industry.

In the letter, CEA notes that curbing rampant misclassification in construction is essential to ensure honest job creators can compete on a level playing field and continue to provide the family-sustaining jobs they create and the tax revenues they produce.

By: Myra Rosario and Beth Castelucci, CEA Communications

By: Ebony Flake, Essence 

Poor communities of color suffer the most from exposure to environmental pollution and often benefit the least from the lucrative business opportunities created to solve it. Gravely is hopeful that new investments in urban infrastructure will help balance this equation.