AGC released the results of a survey that measured the impact of stimulus funds on construction companies' ability to expand payrolls.  The survey found that stimulus construction funds have had little impact to date on companies' ability to hire new employees, but has helped companies save existing jobs.

Read AGC's press release here.

View the survey results.

View AGC's analysis.

Listen to the conference call during which the results were announced.

The news has been widely covered by outlets such as Reuters, Christian Science Monitor and The Washington Post.

Construction employment declined in all but 19 communities nationwide this June as compared to June-2008, according to a new analysis of metropolitan-area employment data released today by AGC.

The analysis, which ranks the 12-month construction employment change reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 352 metro areas, shows that few places in America have been spared the widespread downturn in construction employment over the past year. Read more here.

Various news outlets have picked up AGC's analysis, including Reuters, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Indianapolis Star and Denver Business Journal.

For more information, contact Ken Simonson at simonsonk@agc.org.

This DVD is a must-see for all members of your management team! Features three of the most prominent labor lawyers in the construction industry explaining, in plain English, the sexual harassment rules that all managers and supervisors should follow.  38 minutes. Item No. 2301D.

To order go to www.agc.org/bookstore or call 1-800-242-1767.

AGC held a regional meeting with the National Construction Alliance II (NCAII) on July 13 in Chicago, Ill.  About 50 members and staff from various collective bargaining chapters in the Mid-America Region of AGC's Executive Leadership Council attended, along with Operating Engineers General President Vince Giblin, Carpenters General President Doug McCarron, Union Contractors Committee Chairman Jim Clemens, AGC Union Contractors Committee Staff Associate Denise Gold and NCAII Executive Vice President Ray Poupore. 

NCAII is a partnership of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and International Union of Operating Engineers.  It is the successor to the NCA, which also included the Laborers, until they dropped out of the alliance last year and rejoined the Building and Construction Trades Department of the AFL-CIO.  For more information on the background and activities of NCAII, click here.

AGC-NCAII regional meetings are intended to provide AGC Chapters with an opportunity to communicate union contractors' local and regional concerns directly to the union leaders and to engage in a dialogue to solve problems together.  The first such meeting was held on May 28 in Philadelphia, Pa. 

The July 13 meeting covered a number of issues, such as shortcomings of job targeting programs, worker portability restrictions, the need to recruit more women and minority apprentices, handbilling of union construction jobs by industrial unions protesting nonunion materials, jurisdictional disputes, the inability of contractors working on National Maintenance Agreement jobs to attain waivers from restrictions on collective bargaining, and more.

Contractors raised serious concerns about the state of multiemployer pension plans (MEPPs) and the viability of the current model for the future.  The economic model of MEPPs is fundamentally flawed and impedes organizing, asserted Harold Force of Force Construction Co.  "It's difficult to sign up a new contractor when he's going to sign onto an undefinable liability," he said.  McCarron and Gold reported on cooperative efforts by AGC, the Carpenters, and the Operating Engineers to seek statutory relief for troubled MEPPs, both in 2006 and at present.  McCarron stated that he favors full funding - a goal of 120% funding, in fact - of current MEPPs but opposes the conversion of defined benefit plans to defined contribution plans.  Giblin agreed.  The general presidents also agreed about the need for pension fund mergers.  Mergers may be difficult, but they provide necessary cost-savings, they said.  McCarron indicated that he is encouraging locals to push for mergers in their next round of collective bargaining negotiations.

As in the May 28 meeting, the general presidents expressed interest in directly hearing about local problems in a timely manner.  Contractors should first try to resolve problems with local business agents and managers but, if unsuccessful, should bring the matter to the general presidents' attention, they indicated.

The scheduling of the next AGC-NCAII regional meeting is currently underway.  Information will be announced when available.

For more information, contact Denise Gold at goldd@agc.org or (703) 837-5326.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is an emerging technology that is rapidly gaining acceptance throughout the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. AGC is developing a BIM Education Program, consisting of six courses for construction professionals and others in the AEC community eager to learn essential concepts of BIM and prepare for BIM adoption. At the completion of this series of courses, a BIM credential is being explored on a parallel track to content development.

With all six courses being released before the end of 2010, a lot is happening with this exciting program! The first course, Unit 1-BIM 101: An Introduction to Building Information Modeling was released April 6, 2009 and provides participants a broad overview of BIM and to introduce the important concepts that will be necessary for the advanced courses and BIM adoption. This eight-hour course addresses topics such as: what is BIM?, BIM visualization uses and spatial coordination, scheduling, estimating, facility management and getting started with BIM.

Contact your local Chapter to find out if BIM 101 has been added to their training calendar.

In the fall of 2009 Unit 2-BIM Technology will be released. This course is divided in three sessions, allowing participants to receive a broad understanding of all of the available BIM tools, hands-on software training and teach them how get the various compatible software tools to work together on one project.

You can find information on current and future BIM Education Program courses and training locations at www.agc.org/BIMEP, or email curriculum@agc.org.

2009 Market Insights Series - July 23, 2009, 2:00-3:30pm (EDT)

The 2009 Market Insights Series, presented by AGC, Reed Construction Data and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), is a free quarterly webcast series delivering the most up-to-date information on current and forecasted construction activity.

Join expert economists Ken Simonson, Jim Haughey and Kermit Baker for Turning Points in Construction, a free, 90-min. webcast focused on the key factors affecting the recovery of the construction industry. Register here!

Manchester Grand Hyatt - San Diego, Calif., September 29-30

Many negotiators fail to realize that successful negotiating is a talent - a talent that can be improved by learning the right skills. Negotiating doesn't mean tricks and intimidation. The ability to successfully negotiate is a skill that can be learned. In this two-day course, participants will gain valuable working knowledge of negotiating and listening and how it will benefit their relationships, both personally and professionally. Learn more.

The theme for Fall BIMForum meeting, to be held on October 8-9, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pa., will be "BIM AS THE EVOLVING STANDARD OF CARE: Driving process transformation for designers, contractors and owners."

The BIMForum Leadership is submitting this call for proposals to solicit ideas for presentations that explore the depth and breadth of this topic. Click here for more details about the Fall BIMForum Call for Presentations.

For more information, contact Dmitri Alferieff at (703) 837-5386 or alferieffd@agc.org.

There's still time to sign up for the August 5 ConsensusDOCS Introducing the Subsubcontract Webinar, and the first 50 registrants will receive a free ConsensusDOCS Reference Kit CD (retail value of $199)!

On August 5from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. EDT, ConsensusDOCS will host a webinar titled, Introducing the Subsubcontract.  The expert panel will explain the new ConsensusDOCS 725, the industry's first and only standard agreement designed specifically for use between a subcontractor and subsubcontractor.  The panelists will discuss the unique benefits and challenges of using a simplified agreement to help you understand provisions that are well suited to the somewhat simpler relationships that subcontractors typically share with subsubcontractors, including:

• Value in adopting a fair form agreement tailored to the subsubcontract relationship;
• Flexible provisions for the incorporation of exhibits and other documents; and
• Coordinating flow-down clauses and payment terms with other Upstream Agreements.

AGC members pay just $99 ($229 retail price).  For more information, contact Megan McGarvey at mcgarveym@agc.org or 703-837-5369.

The Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), a group of nearly 30 transportation organizations, placed an advertisement in four Capitol Hill publications. The ad, developed by AGC and its TCC co-chair, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, calls on Congress to pass a six-year surface transportation investment bill immediately.

Click here to view the ad, which appeared in the July 28 POLITICO, CQ Today, Congress Daily and Roll Call.

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