AGC CEO Steve Sandherr, Dave Ivis, executive vice president of GE Johnson, and Kevin Fone, project superintendent, pose for a Denver Post photographer.

AGC hosted an event in Denver this week and detailed how the proposed "Card Check" legislation currently being debated in Washington poses real risks for the nation's union construction workers.

AGC CEO Steve Sandherr explained how provisions in the bill, known as the Employee Free Choice Act, required federal arbitrators to settle all but the briefest of contract negotiations. Having Washington-appointed officials set final contract terms for individual companies would make it harder to maintain collective bargaining, which is a central benefit of unionized construction, he said.

Sandherr spoke at a union construction site for a new hospital outside of Denver. Read coverage from The Denver Post and Denver Business Journal.

For more information, contact Brian Turmail at (703) 837-5310 or turmailb@agc.org.

Stephen P. Gennett, president and CEO of the Carolinas chapter, listens while Otis Crowder, CEO of Crowder Construction, addresses the media.

AGC of America and Carolinas AGC hosted two events in Greensboro and Charlotte, N.C., to explain how the proposed "Card Check" bill would take away a worker's right to a private vote and cause negative repercussions for union contractors as well.

Both events were widely covered by the local media, including local NBC, ABC and CBS affiliates, the Charlotte Observer and NPR. View the coverage from WFMY and News 14, or listen to Charlotte NPR.

For more information, contact Brian Turmail at (703) 837-5310 or turmailb@agc.org.

Join AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson or Senior Executive Director of Government and Public Affairs Jeff Shoaf and Robert Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction, to learn what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) means to your business and your local community. Get the latest updates on how dozens of federal and state agencies are moving on stimulus projects, and gain insight about the overall construction economy, construction funding and tax provisions in the stimulus package. Briefings will be held on the following dates: April 3 in San Diego, April 15 in Houston, April 22 in Chicago and April 24 in Atlanta. Simonson will present in San Diego, Houston and Atlanta, with Shoaf will present in Chicago. Click here for more information and to register.

June 4-5 in Omaha, Neb.

This two-day workshop will prepare participants to conduct STP courses, get the most out of STP instructor materials and effectively teach adult learners. Whether you are interested in starting an STP program in your area or looking to provide an improved STP experience, this interactive workshop will provide the information, tools and techniques you need to successfully facilitate your programs. Learn more at www.agc.org/STPITW.

With a new election cycle underway and legislative battles already being waged on Capitol Hill, AGC's member contractors answered the challenge and showed record support for AGC PAC during the 90th Annual Convention in San Diego. Receipts totaled more than $225,000, the most ever raised during a non-election year. The generosity of AGC members during Convention provides AGC PAC the resources to build relationships with key decision makers on industry priorities like card check and future highway investment.

In addition to member support, those chapters working to support AGC PAC were honored in San Diego. A record eighteen chapters were recognized for their 100% board member participation in the 2008 AGC PAC Chapter Board Contest. At the AGC National Chapter Leadership Breakfast, the Nebraska Building Chapter, AGC won the Grand Prize Drawing and the Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania took high honors for the Chapter board raising the most money in support of AGC PAC during the 2008 competition.

The 2008 contest also generated over $218,000 in AGC PAC receipts - a new record for the competition. Chapters finishing the calendar year competition with 100% participation from their board members included:

San Diego Chapter Inc

Carolinas AGC

AGC of Connecticut

Florida E. Coast Chapter, AGC

General Contractors Assn of HI

Fox Valley General Contractors

Kansas Contractors Association

Mississippi Valley Branch-AGC

Nebraska Building Chapter-AGC

Nevada Chapter AGC

Associated Contractors of NM

New Mexico Building Branch

General Bldg Contractors of NY

AGC of OK - Building Chapter

Master Builders' Assn of W. PA

Constructors Assn of W. PA

AGC of South Dakota Inc

AGC of Texas

Finally, the AGC PAC Contributions Subcommittee appropriated $140,000 to construction-friendly legislators in the U.S. House and Senate. For information about AGC PAC or to become more involved, contact Elisa Brewer Pratt at (202) 547-5013 or brewere@agc.org.

The 2009 Best Information Technology Solutions (BITS) contest was held in San Diego on March 6 at AGC's 90th Annual Convention. The first place winner was Jake White of Clyde Companies in Orem, Utah. Jake's entry was based on a Learning Management System developed by Clyde Companies. This system provides employees with the ability to develop personally and professionally and provides recruiters with an attractive tool: employees can maintain personalized development plans with access to hundreds of web-based training courses. Furthermore, it provides the catalyst to develop Clyde Companies' employees to the point where they become a tangible competitive advantage. Dave Burger of GLY Construction took second place, and Jeff Slinger, Andersen Construction, took third.

For more information, contact Fara Francis at (703) 837-5302 or francisf@agc.org.

Operation Opening Doors, a program that has construction industry businesses donating time and materials to make disabled veterans' homes accessible, will serve as the first ever national charity effort of AGC. The program was developed by the South Dakota Building Chapter

During Convention, AGC's past president Doug Barnhart encouraged members and chapters to identify and help disabled veterans returning from service who need to have their house made accessible.

As president, Barnhart made increasing the construction community's charitable contributions a main focus of his tenure and established a new national awards contest, the AGC in the Community Awards, as the best way to recognize the largely "unheralded" efforts of the chapters across the country.

Barnhart announced the winners of the first-ever AGC in the Community Awards during the opening session of the convention. The winners were:

Aid to Children with Muscular Dystrophy, Contractors Association of West Virginia

Dominican Center and the Sojourner Truth House, AGC of Greater Milwaukee

Habitat for Humanity, AGC of Virginia

Operation Opening Doors, AGC of South Dakota, Building Chapter

Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, Master Builders of Western Pennsylvania

St. Hermann's House of Hospitality, Ohio Contractors Association

The Haven, Arizona Builders Alliance

For more information, contact Monica Cardenas at (703) 837-5364 or cardenasm@agc.org.

In conjunction with the National Championship and AGC's 90th Annual Convention, AGC of America held its first AGC Campus, a new forum for students and early-career professionals to learn more about careers in construction. Sponsored by Flat Iron Construction Corp., NCCER, Skanska, Stacy-Whitbeck and Suffolk Construction, and Turner Construction, over 200 high school and college students convened at the Campus over two days. One the first day, John Tocci, Jr., Gilbane Building Company, kicked off the event with an informative and interactive BIM demonstration. Participants also took advantage of educational sessions on interviewing, internships and a memorable presentation on the San Diego Hard Rock Hotel Project by Dave Holland from Turner Construction.

On the second day, AGC's Annual Student Chapter Meeting was held at the Campus. Students got an opportunity to meet with peers, recruiters and other construction professionals. Barry Paceley, Chair of Construction Education Committee and a former student chapter president, kicked off the meeting with an energetic roll call that included over 20 AGC Student Chapters from coast to coast. Arizona State University, winner of the 2008 Outstanding Student Chapter Contest, gave a briefing on their two award winning projects.

AGC thanks all the sponsors, high school students and teachers along with the participating AGC Student Chapters for making this a successful event.

For more information, contact Carrie Harper at (703) 837-5316 or harperc@agc.org.

At AGC's 90th Annual Convention, Michael Kenig, Vice Chair of Holder Construction in Atlanta, Ga., became chairman of the AGC Building Division. Dirk Elsperman of Tarlton Corp. in St. Louis, Mo., completed his term at the Convention. Mike is a member of the AGC Executive Board, recently served as Division Vice Chairman, previously led the Project Delivery Committee and has been involved in numerous AGC and industry initiatives throughout his career. Paul Hoffman, President of Hoffman, LLC in Appleton, Wis., was elected as Division Vice Chair.

Other AGC Building Division leadership changes include:

• Rick Andritsch, VJS Construction Services, Pewaukee, Wis., chair, Construction Marketing Committee.
• Steve Kimball, Kimball Construction Company, Inc., Baltimore, Md., chair, Industry Liaison Committee.
• Doug Maibach, Barton Malow Co., Southfield, Mich., chair, Project Delivery Committee.

A special thank you to Dirk Elsperman, Terry Wooding, Chuck Greco and Mike Kenig for their service to AGC. For more information about the Building Division, including information about the upcoming Building Contractors Conference, June 10-13 in Hot Springs, Va., please visit www.agc.org/building.

The AGC of America Specialty Contractors Council (SCC) presented "The Cash Flow Implications of Retention" on March 6 at AGC's 90^th Annual Convention. Chair Doug Isaacs began the session with a presentation of the results of a retainage survey completed by over 1,000 AGC specialty contractors in late 2008 that highlights the cash flow challenges retention poses. Incoming chair of the SCC Jim Slack then introduced a document currently being drafted by the SCC intended to aid specialty contractors with retainage issues.

Four panelists spoke on retention from different perspectives: Eric Hedlund, general contractor; Dan O'Brien, specialty contractor; Mike Anderson, surety; and Phil Beck, legal. The panelists then answered questions, and attendees shared their own experiences with retention within their local markets. With this input and the information gathered from the survey, the SCC anticipates completing the draft retainage resource later this year.

For more information about the AGC of America SCC, please visit www.agc.org/SCC.