Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Plan Contains $100 Billion for School Building Upgrades May 01, 2021 By John Boling Settling the long-running dispute between the parties that school construction is a state and local responsibility, the American Jobs Plan includes $100 billion in funds for public school upgrades and construction, with $50 billion to be provided through direct grants and $50 billion provided through bonds. President Joe Biden spoke of the […] Read More
Will DACA Revival Address Worker Shortage? January 01, 2021 A federal judge in New York City has reinstated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which will allow undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children to apply for work permits. US District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis said he was “fully restoring” the program, according to an article in Washington Post on December […] Read More
Construction-Related Events Rescheduled Due to COVID-19 May 01, 2020 Scores of construction-related conventions, meetings, and conferences have been postponed or even canceled due to the worldwide novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). These include, of course, the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants’ (IIBEC’s) 2020 Convention and Trade Show, which was to have occurred in March. By now, interested parties know that IIBEC convention papers will […] Read More
CARES Act Small Business Provisions April 03, 2020 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed by President Trump on March 27, 2020. This Act has certain provisions that apply to small businesses in need of assistance due to the pandemic. The programs listed below are primarily designed to help employers rehire or retain employees. The CARES Act provides avenues […] Read More
Canada’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Act April 03, 2020 The Parliament of Canada has formulated a response plan to help Canadians facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This response plan includes assistance for both individuals and businesses. The COVID-19 Emergency Response Act was recently passed by Parliament to provide an estimated $107 billion in assistance. This article will focus on support […] Read More
Rule Change Makes 1.3 Million More Americans Eligible for Overtime January 03, 2020 A final rule by the U.S. Department of Labor updates the earnings threshold necessary to exempt executive, administrative, and professional employees from the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA’s) minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. The new thresholds had not been updated since 2004 and were effective on January 1, 2020. The rule: Raises the “standard […] Read More
North American Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Lifted July 01, 2019 The U.S., Canada, and Mexico have ended the tariffs that were in place for nearly a year on one another’s shipments of steel and aluminum. Associated General Contractors (AGC) Chief Economist Ken Simonson (Interface’s Construction and the Economy columnist) is reported as saying that the end of the tariffs will be “a very welcome development […] Read More
Home Depot Out of Roofing and Siding Businesses May 02, 2019 Home Depot—America’s best-known home improvement retailer—is getting out of the roofing business nationwide, according to NBC 6 in Florida. Citing delays in service due to a “shortage in materials and labor,” the company is also discontinuing installation of insulation, siding, and gutters. A spokesman for Home Depot said the company will focus on programs “where […] Read More
ICE Enforcement and Raids Stepping Up February 01, 2019 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) I-9 audits and raids on workplaces to arrest illegal immigrants have reached the highest numbers since 2014. Approximately 8000 I-9 audits of U.S. workplaces—four times the number issued in 2017—occurred in 2018. An I-9 audit is a review of an employer’s I-9 forms, required on each employee upon hire to […] Read More
Townhouse Construction Outperforms Other Building Sectors January 01, 2019 According to statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, analyzed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), townhouse construction continues to outperform many other building sectors. Given the demographics of renters entering the for-sale market, as well as ongoing land constraints and the growing demand for walkable neighborhoods, this trend should continue. In the four […] Read More
