News
Safety Stand-Down Week, June 2-6
Falls account for the highest number of deaths among construction workers nationally and more than half of all worker hospitalizations across all industries in Washington state. Because of the high number of falls in the workplace the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is ...
Posted on 05/29/2014
Workers' comp news: Fraud prevention, structured settlements, medical network
Fraud prevention: L&I recently made several announcements about peopled arrested or convicted for workers’ comp fraud. For example three defendants from Tacoma East Wenatchee and Idaho in three unrelated cases pleaded guilty to felony theft for stealing workers’ compensation benefits. Each wa...
Posted on 05/23/2014
Another big AGC Retro refund!
AGC Retro just received a whopping 42% group refund! More than half of the members in the program are earning 54% refunds on their workers compensation premiums as a result of a performance-based refund distribution designed to reward safety and light duty efforts! Van Hardy chairman of the prog...
Posted on 05/23/2014
Transportation and the Governor's climate executive order: Your thoughts?
Gov. Inslee’s recent Executive Order regarding climate change has received a lot of attention most of it focused on his plans for a carbon cap-and-trade program. However there are several other elements to the Executive Order (full copy here) that could impact the construction industry including ...
Posted on 05/23/2014
Lydig, Centennial take home 2014 Build Washington Grand Awards
A packed house at Bellevue’s Hyatt Regency saw Lydig Construction and Centennial Contractors Enterprises take home Grand Awards for Construction and Safety respectively at the 2014 Build Washington Awards on May 15. Dave Ross of KIRO radio was the evenings master of ceremonies.
Lydig Constructio...
Posted on 05/23/2014
Want to be a dot-build rather than a dot-com?
From AGC of America:The new .build website domain is now available for registration!
Similar to .com .org and .biz .build is one of the initial 250+ internet domains that have recently been released by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Over the next few years it is...
Posted on 05/12/2014
New water-quality rules will impact construction
Governor Inslee will soon make a determination regarding fish consumption in Washington State. This seemingly innocuous determination though could have a big effect on utility rates future development and construction.
The figure that the state adopts for “fish consumption” – basically the amoun...
Posted on 05/12/2014
Gov. Inslee signs executive order on carbon reduction
Gov. Jay Inslee recently signed an executive order outlining a series of steps to cut carbon pollution in Washington through a cap-and-trade program a low-carbon fuel standard more energy-efficient buildings and other tactics. The Governor’s executive order does not implement any new programs but...
Posted on 05/12/2014
CWU honors AGC's Mandi Kime
AGC Safety Director Mandi Kime was honored as a distinguished volunteer by CWU President Dr. James L. Gaudino and the College of Education and Professional Studies Dean Dr. Connie Lambert at the 2014 Volunteer Appreciation Celebration.
Mandi (second from right in photo) was honored particularly ...
Posted on 04/28/2014
Report confirms the loss of transportation funds to compact
$30 million a year is being siphoned out of gas-tax funded transportation construction by a questionable compact that Washington State entered into with the Tribes in 2007 concludes a report by former Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag.
In 2007 the Legislature passed a bill authorizing the G...
Posted on 04/28/2014
CWU construction program gets boost from AGC
With help from the AGC of Washington an endowment has been established at Central Washington University’s Construction Management program that provides continuous funding for classroom equipment construction outreach and education.
AGC recently made the last installment on a $50000 pledge for CW...
Posted on 04/28/2014
State Supreme Court overturns law protecting general contractors from trust fund liens on public works projects
By John P. Ahlers and Masaki James YamadaUnder Washington’s Public Works statutes (RCW 39.08 and 60.28) general contractors who perform public works are legally required to post payment bonds and have retainage withheld from progress payments. The purpose of these laws is to protect the public en...
Posted on 04/15/2014
Milestone for PCL Civil's Sound Transit project
The PCL Civil Constructors construction team for the Sound Transit South 200th Link Extension project was visited by Sound Transit staff members of the congressional delegation Washington State and local officials and the media on April 9th.
The start of the guideway erection at Sound Transits...
Posted on 04/15/2014
Development permits no longer hostage to challenges to permit regs
By John Riper Ashbaugh BealRecently the Washington Supreme Court issued a decision that may go a long way toward eliminating challenges to the legality of land use regulations as a tactic for derailing a developer’s permit application.The case involves a proposed development at Point Wells a 61-a...
Posted on 04/15/2014
Nearly half of highway contractors experience work zone crashes
Last week was National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week bringing attention to safety in work zones for both motorists and workers. WSDOT hosted an event on April 8 at the SR 99/new South Atlantic Street Overpass which included the annual Worker Memorial tribute.
A focus on highway work zone safet...
Posted on 04/14/2014
AGC's 2014 Legislative Recap
The following bills passed the Legislature in 2014.
E2SHB 2192 – AGC’s position: SupportState agency permitting: In response to recommendations from a recent performance audit by the Washington State Auditor’s Office this bill requires agencies to keep track of and public report the amount of ti...
Posted on 04/14/2014
Constantine Builders embraces lean construction as part of growth strategy
George Constantine says that more family time travel and the senior golf tour beckon so he has initiated a transition plan that in a few years will conclude with his son Paul leading Constantine Builders Inc.
While that transition is occurring though George and Paul are establishing Constantine...
Posted on 04/14/2014
Help stop NLRB's “ambush†election rule
The NLRB has re-issued a proposed rule on representation-case procedures with a public comment deadline of Monday April 7. It mirrors a 2011 “quickie election” or “ambush election” rule that was ultimately invalidated by a court. To take action click ambush rule.
Posted on 04/02/2014
Arlington modified-duty center opens
AGC Retro has moved one of its modified-duty centers to Arlington.
This is an excellent light-duty option for people restricted from performing modified duties at your jobsite. Workers study the core safety codes and can receive CPR/first aid certification flagger certification OSHA ten-hour tra...
Posted on 03/31/2014
IMCO hosts BHS students at Lynden jobsite
AGC of Washington was pleased to partner with IMCO General Construction and Bellingham High School for a Lunch with the Crew and jobsite tour event on March 20th. IMCO superintendent Joe Lupo and his crew hosted eight lucky Bellingham High School students at IMCOs wastewater treatment plant ex...
Posted on 03/31/2014
Rep. Larsen talks workforce, transportation with AGC
AGC members Brett Ferullo (Northwest Construction) Chuck Lutrell (Dawson Construction) and AGC Northern District Manager Liz Evans recently had the opportunity to sit down with Congressman Rick Larsen (photo) for a conversation on various issues affecting the construction industry and Washington ...
Posted on 03/17/2014
U.S. DOT likely to delay reimbursements this summer
AGC of America reports that last week committees in the Senate and the House heard from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and other Department officials about their FY 2015 budget submission MAP-21 reauthorization and how they intend to administer highway and transit programs consider...
Posted on 03/17/2014
National honors for AGC of Washington members
A number of AGC of Washington members received national recognition at the recent 2014 AGC of America convention in Las Vegas.
National 2014 Alliant Build America Awards were presented to Max J. Kuney of Spokane (Highway & Transportation category) for their work on the Skagit River Bridge Re...
Posted on 03/13/2014
ACT NOW: With the clock running down, full-court press on transportation package
With the clock running down in the 2014 state legislative session AGC and others are putting on a full-court press to secure passage of a comprehensive transportation package.
AGC members are strongly urged to contact their legislators – even if they already did so earlier this year – and urge t...
Posted on 03/04/2014
Bayley achieves L&I's first START designation for construction
Bayley Construction is Washingtons first construction company to achieve the states START designation. “We are really proud of this recognition as we always want to be the best that we can be -- and safety goes right along with that” says Ron Bayley Chairman and CEO. Both Bayley’s corporate offic...