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Jul 1, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
Construction spending during May 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted rate of $874.9 billion, 0.5 percent above the April estimate of $870.3 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce....
Read MoreJun 28, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
The City of Brunswick passed a resolution this week in opposition of any future “So Called Right to Work” legislation considered by Ohio state lawmakers.
Brunswick City Council members expect another bill attacking Ohio’s middle class to be brought to the Statehouse in the near future despite the House Manufacturing & Workforce Development Committee’s rejection of further “So Called Right to Work” hearings earlier this month.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is moving closer to recommending a 20-criteria safety and health checklist for companies bidding on federal construction contracts going forward.
To evaluate applicants, the newest version of the checklist will allow procurement officers to score each of the twenty items on a scale of one (“no compliance”) to five (“full compliance”) points.
Jun 14, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
On June 4, the U.S. House of Representatives swiftly defeated an amendment to appropriations bill H.R. 2216 that would have halted enforcement of the Davis-Bacon Act and disregarded the protection of workers on construction projects.
The amendment, offered by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), would have required that “none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement, administer, or enforce [Davis-Bacon] prevailing wage requirements.” The amendment failed on a 192-231 vote; no Democrat supported the amendment, while 36 Republicans crossed party lines to defeat it.
Jun 6, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
“So Called Right to Work” opponents were out in full force at the Ohio Statehouse Tuesday, vocalizing their disapproval over a pair of bills aiming to strip workers of protections afforded by unions despite top Republicans’ claims of a lack of pro-labor support.
Hundreds congregated outside the capitol building in Columbus while the House Manufacturing & Workforce Development Committee heard testimony from Rep. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) and Rep. Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) on bills to enshrine language in the state constitution making it illegal to require union membership as a condition of employment. Reps. Roegner and Maag claim HB 151 would make the state more competitive in attracting new businesses to improve Ohio’s economy.
Jun 6, 2013 | Energy, Member News | 0 |
Ohio tradesmen will be getting a big boost this summer as extensive construction on oil and gas pipeline networks and two cryogenic plants in Delaware and Columbiana counties begin.
A $150 million natural-gas processing plant by Pennant Midstream LLC – a joint venture between NiSource Midstream and HilCorp Energy Co. – in Springfield Township will benefit carpenters, pipe fitters, electricians, laborers, operating engineers and cement masons.
Jun 3, 2013 | Construction News | 0 |
Construction spending during April 2013 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $860.8 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce, a slight increase (.4%) above the $857.7 billion estimate released in March.
Overall, construction spending during the first four months of 2013 is up from last year at $250.7 billion, as compared to $239.8 billion for the same period in 2012.
May 31, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
On May 23, The Columbus Dispatch published a Letter to the Editor from Barton Hacker, president of the Central Ohio Associated Builders and Contractors. It was full of inaccurate information.
Rebuttal was necessary, and Jack Heinzman, executive secretary-treasurer of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building Trades, took it upon himself to set the record straight.
May 15, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
ACT Ohio has been assisting the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers deal with the Scioto County Commissioners and some questionable bidding practices on a project to repair the local County Courthouse roof.
It’s just one example of ACT Ohio’s promise to serve as a watch dog for the construction industry throughout Ohio.
Here’s a little background on this case: After the roofing project was declared an emergency, it was awarded to an out-of-state contractor who submitted a 2nd bid of $99,990 – just under the county’s threshold to be considered an emergency award and skip competitive bidding. Just days later, however, the contract was amended and increased $23,000, allegedly due to unforeseen complications.
May 3, 2013 | Member News | 0 |
Two House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled proposed legislation to make Ohio a So-Called Right to Work State, but GOP leaders in the Senate killed the idea in a matter of hours.
Reps. Ron Maag, R-Lebanon, and Kristina Roegner, R-Hudson, proposed separate bills that together would make it optional for public and private-sector workers protected by a union contract to help pay the expenses that a union incurs while fighting to guarantee the rights of all employees.