Legal/Regulation
-
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
NJ court says contractor must pay for worker's medical pot
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that M&K Construction has to pay for an injured worker's medical marijuana, but that it isn't criminally liable for breaking federal law by doing so.
By Joe Bousquin • April 20, 2021 -
Biden nominates California safety chief as head of OSHA
Douglas L. Parker currently runs Cal/OSHA, which issued its own COVID-19 emergency temporary standard during the pandemic.
By Kim Slowey • April 14, 2021 -
Border wall gets no new funds in Biden's budget
President Joe Biden's $1.6 trillion discretionary spending request did not ask for border wall construction funds and proposed that prior-year funding set aside for wall construction be canceled.
By Kim Slowey • April 12, 2021 -
NY pot law creates safety, liability issues for contractors
Unlike other jurisdictions where marijuana is legal, the Empire State's "Scaffold Law" assigns absolute liability to employers for gravity-related worker injuries, even those caused by or to someone who is high on the job.
By Joe Bousquin • April 12, 2021 -
The image by U.S. Department of the Interior is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Walsh indicates support for minimum wage hike, collective bargaining
In interviews last week, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh took worker-first positions on wages and the right to organize.
By Joe Bousquin • April 06, 2021 -
Legoland hit with $346K environmental fines at New York park
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has fined the owners of the project $611,550 since construction started in 2018.
By Kim Slowey • April 01, 2021 -
Senate passes bill extending PPP deadline to May 31
The bill, which extends the deadline for Paycheck Protection Program applications for another two months, awaits President Joe Biden's signature.
By Anna Hrushka • March 26, 2021 -
Retrieved from Boston City TV.
Senate confirms former union leader Marty Walsh as labor secretary
Hailed by one senator as someone who will defend workers' rights to organize and "crack down on corporate union busting," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was confirmed by a 68-29 vote yesterday.
By Kim Slowey • March 23, 2021 -
How the PRO Act could change the way contractors do business
The Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which passed in the House this month, could reclassify many independent contractors as employees.
By Kim Slowey • March 22, 2021 -
Permission granted by Customs and Border Protection
Republicans seek to reinstate border wall construction funding
Forty senators said that wall construction is necessary to restore order at the U.S.-Mexico border, and that the president's funding freeze violates the Impoundment Control Act.
By Kim Slowey • March 18, 2021 -
Retrieved from Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz.
Troubled multiemployer pension plans saved through coronavirus relief bill
The recently passed COVID-19 relief package will pay benefits through 2051 for MEP plans that were headed toward insolvency, many of which affect the construction industry.
By Kim Slowey • March 17, 2021 -
Jenn Goodman/Construction Dive
Court to decide if Maryland Purple Line project can move forward
The activists that filed the lawsuit — their third — claim that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued permits for the beleaguered light rail project that endanger local waters.
By Kim Slowey • March 16, 2021 -
Retrieved from Flickr/Oregon State University.
Virginia becomes ninth state to create a worker protection unit
The new unit will focus on cases involving wage theft, payroll fraud and worker misclassification.
By Kim Slowey • March 16, 2021 -
Retrieved from Chris Yarzab/Flickr.com.
OSHA launches COVID-19 National Emphasis Program, prioritizes onsite inspections
The moves are in response to President Joe Biden's executive order that the agency increase efforts to protect workers from being exposed to the coronavirus.
By Kim Slowey • March 15, 2021 -
$1.9T COVID-19 relief package includes billions for capital projects
The construction industry will benefit from many of the provisions in the massive rescue bill that Congress passed yesterday.
By Kim Slowey • March 11, 2021 -
Edwin Lopez / Construction Dive
Texas bill would continue border wall construction in the state
Under the proposed legislation, the state would fund barrier projects along the Texas-Mexico border and then seek reimbursement from the federal government.
By Kim Slowey • March 09, 2021 -
Getty / Edited by Industry Dive
PPP loans and taxes: what to consider before you file
The biggest impact to many contractors' 2020 taxes is the deductibility of expenses paid with Paycheck Protection Program loans.
By Kim Slowey • March 08, 2021 -
With Biden's ETS deadline looming, feds find OSHA compromised worker safety
The U.S. Labor Department's inspector general said that OSHA complaints last year increased by 15% but that federal inspections decreased by 50%.
By Kim Slowey • March 05, 2021 -
Former construction exec sentenced to 27 months, $18.7M in restitution for fraud
At the now defunct MGT Construction in Virginia, Patrick Lindsey moved costs off the records of projects that were in the red to make it appear as if they were making money.
By Kim Slowey • March 02, 2021 -
Contractors consider COVID-19 vaccine incentives for hesitant workers
Construction employers must take care not to violate federal law when trying to incentivize workers to get a vaccination, attorneys say.
By Kim Slowey • March 01, 2021 -
New York creates statewide construction death registry
A new law requires all construction-related workplace deaths to be publicly recorded, which could lead to "compliance by shame," according to an attorney.
By Joe Bousquin • Feb. 25, 2021 -
Permission granted by Florida Department of Transportation
Florida DOT called out Skanska just hours after barge strike
The Florida Department of Transportation called the contractor's storm preparation efforts and response "totally unacceptable."
By Kim Slowey • Feb. 25, 2021 -
How would a $15 minimum wage affect construction?
An increase in the federal minimum wage would mean that construction employers in some states would have to pay more for some types of labor.
By Kim Slowey • Feb. 23, 2021 -
Courtesy of Enbridge
Enbridge starts bid process for Line 5 pipeline project
As its contract with Great Lakes Tunnel Constructors comes to an end, the energy company will switch from a construction manager/general contractor model to a request for proposals from new bidders, The Detroit News said.
By Kim Slowey • UPDATED: April 6, 2021 at 8:13 a.m. -
Permission granted by Wikimedia Commons user Lars Plougmann
New York City building inspector charged in bribery scheme
Francesco Ginestri allegedly accepted a $1,200 payment in exchange for not fining a construction company that ignored a stop work order.
By Jenn Goodman • Feb. 12, 2021
