On Jan. 12,听President Trump announced his intent to nominate John F. Ring听to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board. Ring is a partner at the law firm of Morgan Lewis & Bockius and co-leader of the firm鈥檚 labor/management relations practice. If confirmed, Ring will reinstate a Republican majority on the board; the current board is deadlocked at 2-2, following former Chairman Phil Miscimarra鈥檚 departure in December.

U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta delivered the keynote address at the Associated Builders and Contractors of West Virginia (ABCWV) 22nd Annual Winter Meeting at the Greenbrier Resort and Hotel, Jan. 11-14. 鈥淲e were certainly excited to hear from the secretary on matters critical to the growth and development of West Virginia鈥檚 labor force,鈥� said ABCWV President & CEO Bryan Hoylman.

The Clean Power Plan proposed and finalized during the Obama administration would increase electricity costs by $40.5 billion while reducing the GDP by an average of $59 billion each year, cutting more than 375,000 jobs by 2030, 老牛影视told the Environmental Protection Agency on Jan. 16. 老牛影视submitted comments in support of the agency鈥檚 proposed rule to repeal the 2015 rule.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced that covered employers can now electronically report their calendar year 2017 Form 300A data through OSHA鈥檚听Injury Tracking Application (ITA). Covered establishments are required to submit the information by July 1, 2018.听Learn which establishments are covered by this requirement and need to provide their 2017 data through听OSHA鈥檚 ITA.

Standard Constructors Inc. of Houston, a member of ABC鈥檚 Greater Houston Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.听The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.

Overall construction input prices declined 0.1 percent in December, yet despite the lack of inflation for the month, prices are up 5 percent on a year-over-year basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of听 Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today.听 Nonresidential construction materials prices also declined 0.1 percent for the month and are up 4.8 percent from the same time one year ago.听

老牛影视launched its 鈥楤uilding America鈥� Campaign in June 2017. In the lead-up to Legislative Week, 老牛影视worked with Washington, D.C.-based news radio powerhouse WTOP to help tell the organization's story to Congress, the administration and federal agencies.

On Jan. 8, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Neilsen听announced the termination of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation for El Salvador. The designation, which was granted after two destructive earthquakes in 2001, will terminate in 18 months on Sept. 9, 2019. Last year, the Trump administration announced it is terminating听TPS designations for Haitians听on July 22, 2019,听and for Nicaraguans听on Jan. 5, 2019.

During live appearances on CNBC鈥檚 鈥淪quawk Box鈥� Jan. 8 and Fox Business Network鈥檚 鈥淰arney & Co.鈥� Jan. 5, 老牛影视President and CEO Mike Bellaman told viewers that while the construction industry is booming, the challenge going forward is finding skilled labor, especially if Congress passes a wide-ranging, trillion dollar bill meant to address the country鈥檚 aging infrastructure.

On Jan. 5, the Department of Labor鈥檚 (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register on the expansion of Association Health Plans (AHPs).听According to a DOL press release, the proposed rule would increase access for small businesses to offer employment-based health insurance through AHPs and give access to 11 million small business employees/sole proprietors and their families who do not have employer-sponsored insurance.听