News
Unheard of Room Rates at Hyatt for AGC Annual Convention
Want value? How about $89 per night for a room at the spectacular Hyatt Regency Bellevue? Yes! Attendees at AGC’s Annual Convention can have that rate from Jan. 21-23. Stay at the Hyatt and enjoy the fine dining shopping and nightlife that beautiful downtown Bellevue has become famous for! Click ...
Posted on 01/05/2010
Members Report Unauthorized Membership Dues Invoices
The National Association of General Contractors and Subcontractors is in NO WAY AFFILIATED with AGC! AGC of WA members have reported an unaffiliated Membership Directory Listing Application under the guise of a “Membership Invoice.” Specifically members have reported receiving “membership dues in...
Posted on 01/05/2010
Let Your Voice be Heard! Attend AGC's Lobby Day Jan. 26 in Olympia
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet face-to-face with legislators who will be making decision on workers’ comp reform infrastructure investments sales tax permit changes and more. The event begins at noon in AGC’s Olympia office for lunch and a briefing on the issues followed by meetings w...
Posted on 01/05/2010
Attorney General Rob McKenna Featured at AGC Annual Convention
Attend lunch at the AGC Annual Convention and hear from one of the most widely respected public officials in the state! Attorney General Rob McKenna will share his views of how the state can dig its way out of the current budgetary and the importance of infrastructure investments to economic deve...
Posted on 01/05/2010
New AGC Southern District Headquarters Purchased
By Tim Attebery AGC Southern District Manager
In late 2008 AGC sold its office space on Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma and is now finishing the purchase of a building in Fife.
In a survey AGC members reported that they would prefer office space that did not require paid parking and was conve...
Posted on 01/05/2010
Brace Yourself: Washington Legislature Convenes Next Week
State lawmakers return to Olympia on Monday for the start of the 2010 legislative session and many issues important to the construction industry will be in play: workers’ comp reform infrastructure investments retainage release improvements fixes to the wholesalers’ sales tax permit system and mo...
Posted on 01/05/2010
AGC-WSDOT Annual Meeting Jan. 7
AGC members are invited to attend the AGC/WSDOT Joint Cooperative Committee annual meeting in Fircrest WA. Highlights include a discussion of WSDOT’s tolling plans the federal and state legislative outlooks environmental updates and more. Click AGC/WSDOT annual meeting for details and registration.
Posted on 01/05/2010
AGC Challenges Proposed \Responsible Bidder\ Ordinance
(Editor’s note: Have you come across questionable responsible bidder criteria in bid notices? If so contact Van Collins AGC Legislative Counsel 360-352-5000.)
Two years ago the Legislature passed “responsible bidder” legislation that gives public agencies the option of using supplemental criteri...
Posted on 12/22/2009
Leading Through Turbulent Times Presented at AGC Annual Convention
This year’s Annual Convention at the Hyatt in Bellevue features eleven enlightening break-out sessions. One of those is a special presentation by experts from the Disney Institute. You will learn to lead with vision while managing with discipline create and sustain a high performance culture enha...
Posted on 12/22/2009
Unemployment Insurance Tax Changes for 2010
By Christine Swanson AGC Government Affairs Manager
During the week of December 7 the Employment Security Department started mailing tax notices for 2010. Unfortunately tax rates will rise in 2010 for many employers. The average tax rate in 2010 will be 2.38 percent up from 1.55 percent in 2009....
Posted on 12/22/2009
Termination Do's and Don'ts
There is a right way and a wrong way to terminate an employee. In a webinar for AGC Stanislaw Ashbaugh described seven steps to take when it unfortunately becomes necessary to terminate someone. The Daily Journal of Commerce covered the webinar and produced a detailed review with the “seven steps...
Posted on 12/22/2009
Data Shows Low Construction Prices May Soon be Coming to an End
New federal data showing sharp increases in the prices of key construction materials like diesel copper and brass mill shapes likely foreshadow future increases in construction costs the AGC of America announced. The new November producer price index (PPI) report from the Bureau of Labor Statisti...
Posted on 12/22/2009
Crane Certification Checklist
The last issue of AGC Works included a recap of the looming crane and crane operator certification rules – and the fact that many firms have not yet begun the certification process. As one more reminder AGC’s Safety Department has prepared a simple checklist of what needs to be done prior to Jan....
Posted on 12/22/2009
AGC Welcomes New Members
The following firms were recently approved for membership by the AGC Board of Trustees (click links for more info): Omega-Morgan; Puget Sound Refrigeration Inc.; and ProBuild.
Posted on 12/22/2009
From the AGC President: The Year in Review
By Lee Kilcup CEO and Chairman of GLY Construction and AGC President
2009 may not have been the year to be a contractor but it was a great year to be an association that provides real value in a time of need. From the very beginning of the year our focus was on creating real help to our member...
Posted on 12/08/2009
Gregoire's Move Toward Streamlined Permitting Applauded by AGC
In what appears to be a significant win for AGC and a stride to increased government efficiency Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an executive order last week last week to transform the way multiple state agencies handle environmental permit reviews. The executive order promotes AGC’s position that agen...
Posted on 12/08/2009
Pease Construction Celebrates 25th Anniversary
Patty Candiotta and Loren Pease at Pease Constructions 25th Anniversary party
Twenty-five years ago there was an addition to the Pease family when Pease Construction was born.
Pease Construction spun-off from Pease & Sons Inc. in 1984 to capture federal small business cont...
Posted on 12/08/2009
Crane Certification Rules Apply to YOU (Most Likely)
By Mandi Kime AGC Safety Director
New crane certification rules take effect in less than a month – and it looks like only a fraction of construction cranes have been certified!
During the promulgation of the new crane safety standards for Washington the Department of Labor and Industries estima...
Posted on 12/08/2009
Registration Open for AGC's Annual Convention
It’ll be unlike any convention the AGC of Washington has produced in recent memory so don’t miss out! The event features 11 educational and leading edge breakout sessions lunch with Attorney General Rob McKenna invaluable networking at the Berntson Porter reception and plenty of fun at the Stanis...
Posted on 12/08/2009
L&I Confirms 7.6 Percent Workers' Comp Increase; Reform Battle Looms
The Department of Labor & Industries announced Nov. 30 that the proposed 7.6 percent average increase in workers’ compensation insurance premiums will indeed take effect January 1 2010.
The increased rate remains unchanged from the amount originally proposed by the Department in October desp...
Posted on 12/08/2009
Workers' Comp Release Takes Effect for Retainage on Public Work
L&I can now collect unpaid workers’ comp premiums from the retainage funds kept by a public agency on most prevailing wage projects.
Upon completion of a contract over $35000 the new law requires the public agency that contracted the project to notify both L&I and the state Department of...
Posted on 12/08/2009
Earl Bell, Long-Time Staff Member and Friend to AGC, Passed Away
It was with a great deal of sadness that the AGC of Washington members and staff learned of the loss of one of its long-time staff members Earl Bell to cancer on November 6. Earl had been living in Arizona with his wife Robynn since he retired from AGC in 1995.
Earl was born in Gresham Oregon No...
Posted on 11/18/2009
Apply for a Reseller Permit NOW to Avoid Cumbersome Rebate Process
Have you applied for your reseller’s permit yet? If you haven’t consider this information from the Department of Revenue (DOR): Many businesses have said they will not sell at wholesale and will charge sales tax unless a reseller permit is presented by January 1 2010. Plus without the permit you ...
Posted on 11/18/2009
Free Webinar: The Do's and Don'ts of Terminating and Laying-Off Employees
In this difficult economy many companies face the prospects of terminations and layoffs. David Ashbaugh and Jenny Faubion from Stanislaw Ashbaugh law firm will discuss tips and procedures for terminating employees under WA and Federal Law. Learn what you can and can’t do and how to protect your c...
Posted on 11/18/2009
WSDOT Workforce Agreement for 520 Pontoon Project Benefits All Involved
A project agreement for the 520 Bridge pontoon project has been negotiated by labor unions and the joint venture firms that will be submitting bids to WSDOT. At the request of WSDOT and the project’s qualified bidders the agreement was facilitated by AGC.
Because of the size and uniqueness of th...