News
Contractors visit State Capitol for AGC Lobby Day
AGC thanks the members who travelled to Olympia to support construction-industry issues in the Legislature on March 17. During AGC’s annual Lobby Day members visited legislators to talk to them face-to-face about transportation spending bid listing legislation and workers’ comp reform.
“Lobby Da...
Posted on 03/30/2015
Orth, Berger testify against bid-listing bill
AGC is opposing legislation mandating the listing of many additional subcontractors at the time the public entity establishes the low responsive bidder.
Photo L-R: Duke Schaub Tymon Berger and Doug Orth prepare to testify before the Ways and Means Committee against the bid listing bill.
ESHB 1...
Posted on 03/30/2015
Paul Mayo, Bob Adams testify in support of transportation funding plan
AGC members Paul Mayo of Flatiron Constructors and Bob Adams of Guy F. Atkinson Construction joined AGC lobbyist Duke Schaub in testifying before the House Transportation Committee last week in support of a comprehensive transportation funding package.
(Photo L-R: Bob Adams Paul Mayo and Duke S...
Posted on 03/30/2015
AGC of America introduces new officers to lead industry
March 25 2015 -- The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) today announced the new officers who have been selected to lead the nation’s largest construction trade association. In photo left to right Chuck Greco chairman of Houston Texas-based Linbeck Group will serve as president; Mar...
Posted on 03/30/2015
DOR: Contractors pay sales tax on clean-up activities
The State Department of Revenue reminds contractors that sales taxes must be paid on janitorial services that are construction clean-up or preparation for turning a new building over to the owner. The DOR prepared this webpage describing when a retail sales tax is applicable for interior cleaning...
Posted on 03/16/2015
Half-time in the Legislature: Transportation, workers' comp still alive
The State Legislature has reached the half-way mark of the 2015 session and some noteworthy bills – good and bad – affecting the construction industry are still on the move.
Technically the Legislature has reached the “house of origin cut-off date.” This means that for example a bill that was i...
Posted on 03/16/2015
Dawgs, Cougs bring home the hardware once again
Student teams from the University of Washington and Washington State University continued their winning ways bringing home top awards from the 2015 Associated Schools of Construction competition in Sparks NV February 10-13.
Shown here (clockwise from top left) the UW took first place overall in ...
Posted on 03/16/2015
$15B transportation package takes big step in Senate
The $15 billion transportation package took a big step forward yesterday when the Senate voted out two of three funding measures. Late last week the Senate voted out all eight transportation-reform bills.
The bill that includes the 11.7-cent gas-tax increase and other funding measures SSB 5987 p...
Posted on 03/03/2015
WSDOT implements reforms for a more efficient, effective agency
By Secretary of Transportation Lynn Peterson
Editor’s note: With a transportation-funding package being debated in Olympia the issue of reforms regarding how transportation dollars are spent is front and center. We asked WSDOT Sec. Lynn Peterson (photo) to describe the steps that WSDOT has alre...
Posted on 03/02/2015
Vesting-rights bill passed by Judiciary Committee
Legislation (SB 5921) to prevent development rules from changing in “the middle of the game” has been passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Ashbaugh Beal partner Tymon Berger (photo right) testified on behalf of AGC before the House Judiciary Committee in support of the House version of th...
Posted on 02/27/2015
AGC issues transportation-package action alert
AGC has issued an action alert to urge State Senate members to support the proposed $15B transportation-funding package. This package is comprised of eleven bills that include a number of critical state projects. The Senate is likely to vote on the package Thursday or Friday of this week. Click h...
Posted on 02/24/2015
Bill would mandate multiple subs and suppliers added to bid lists
Click here to tell legislators to vote NO on this bill!AGC is opposing legislation that could add a dozen or more specialty subs to the list of those that must be included as part of the bid for public-works construction projects costing more than $1 million.
Photo: Jeremy Carroll of Dawson Con...
Posted on 02/16/2015
Senate Transportation leaders unveil $15B funding and reform package
Construction of the SR 167/SR 509 Gateway I-5 JBLM corridor improvements and I-82 Yakima to Union Gap improvements are among the 104 projects that would be constructed via a $15 billion transportation package introduced last week in the State Senate. Funded primarily through a phased-in 11.7 cent...
Posted on 02/16/2015
AGC backs slate of workers' comp reform bills
Citing real-world examples AGC Group Retro Director Lauren Gubbe recently described to the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee how current law and Labor and Industries (LNI) policy make it possible for some injured workers to receive more income on workers’ comp timeloss benefits than what they...
Posted on 02/16/2015
Advanced Management, Project Manager courses from AGC of America
Two of AGC of Americas most popular and acclaimed courses are the Advanced Management Program and Construction Project-Manager Course.
For construction leaders on the rise no program provides a more comprehensive uniquely focused program than AGC’s Advanced Management Program (AMP). Suited for c...
Posted on 02/10/2015
Glyn Slattery named 2015 AGC Contractor of the Year
Other 2015 honorees include Ian McFarland of University Mechanical Contractors Bryan Kelley of Oles Morrison Rinker Baker LLP and Lee Kilcup of GLY Construction.
Glyn Slattery of Lydig Construction was presented with AGC of Washingtons 2015 Contractor of the Year award at Jan. 23s Annual Convent...
Posted on 02/02/2015
AGC's BUILD PAC honors Senator Ann Rivers with 2015 Legislator of the Year award
Senator Ann Rivers was presented with AGCs BUILD PAC 2015 Legislator of the Year award at AGC of Washington’s 2015 Annual Convention on Jan. 23 at the Seattle Four Seasons Hotel.
Sen. Rivers is a rising star within the Washington State senate. After a term in the House she won the 18th District...
Posted on 02/02/2015
Smith, Munro to lead AGC of Washington in 2015
AGC of Washington elected a new group of association officers at its 2015 annual convention held Jan. 23 at Seattle’s Four Seasons Hotel.
The association welcomed Gary Smith Lease Crutcher Lewis as president; Nancy Munro MidMountain Contractors as first vice president; Jake Jacobson Osborne Co...
Posted on 02/02/2015
Alaska Business Forum: the economic relationship with Washington's northern trading partner
Launch of the Ties that Bind Report:A first look at the economic relationship with Washington’s northern trading partner-- PLUS the 2015 economic forecast featuring Neal Fried
A Seattle Chamber event -- AGC members are welcome to attend;see registration info below.
Its been ten years since the ...
Posted on 02/02/2015
Eighty percent of construction firms plan to expand 2015 payrolls
Eighty percent of construction firms plan to expand their payrolls in 2015 while only 7 percent expect to reduce headcounts according to survey results released on Jan. 21st by the Associated General Contractors of America. The survey conducted as part of Ready to Hire Again: The 2015 Constructio...
Posted on 01/30/2015
CITC opens craft-laborers program
As of January 15 2015 CITC has been approved by the Washington State Apprenticeship and Training Council (WSATC) for a Construction-Craft Laborers apprenticeship program. The new program is statewide which means that if a company participates in their laborers program apprentices can work anywher...
Posted on 01/30/2015
AGC-WSDOT Administrative and Environmental Excellence award winners
Granite Construction Guy F. Atkinson KLB Construction West Company and Spokane Products were among those honored for administrative and environmental excellence by WSDOT and AGC of Washington. Awards were presented at the AGC-WSDOT annual meeting January 8 in Tacoma.
Partnership for Excellence i...
Posted on 01/17/2015
Right ways and wrong ways to fund transportation
One of AGCs top legislative priorities is passage of a comprehensive transportation package to address congestion unmet preservation and maintenance needs and freight mobility.
One of the big questions is how to pay for a package. Governor Inslee recently introduced a carbon cap-and-trade mechan...
Posted on 01/17/2015
AGC's Government Affairs Committee prepares for new legislative session
AGC’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC) recently met to set the stage for AGC’s involvement in the 2015 State legislative session which begins Jan. 12. Among the issues discussed and policy positions taken by the GAC are:• Prevailing wage Support legislation to eliminate requirements that app...
Posted on 01/06/2015
Pension reform passage is culmination of years of labor and management cooperation
Thanks to a huge push by AGC of America and its members Congress recently passed legislation to revamp the multiemployer-pension program in an attempt to bolster plans that are in dire financial shape. Click multi-employer pension reform.