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The shift in party power in Washington means that organized labor has more political clout today than it's had in years.  Whether you're a union contractor or not, you should care about what organized labor is up to.  Find out by attending a special session during Íæż½ã½ã's Annual Convention in Orlando, FL, where Mark Ayers, president of the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Department, will talk about the building trades' current activities and agenda.  The session, "State of the Union:  a Forum with the Building Trades," will take place on March 17, at 9:30 a.m.  All convention registrants are invited to attend.For more information about the Convention or to register, go to http://convention.agc.org/.

A subcontractor that assigned roofing work on a project covered by a project labor agreement (PLA) to workers represented by a union that was not signatory to the PLA is liable for breach of contract under state common law, despite a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision upholding the assignment under Section 10(k) of the National Labor Relations Act, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey has held.

Planning is under way for two of Íæż½ã½ã's most sought-after annual conferences, the HR Professionals Conference and the Training & Development Conference.  For 2010, the conferences will be co-located in Scottsdale, Arizona, October 18-20, with separate tracks for each conference. 

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the agency responsible for protecting consumers from fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices, has for the first time since 1980 published new guidelines about the use of endorsements and testimonials.  While the issue may seem broad, the mention of 'social media' and 'blogging' and the perception that employees may be considered by consumers as 'paid endorsers' is a reminder for employers who haven't already created effective social media policies to do so.

According to the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which is responsible for ensuring that those doing business with the federal government don't discriminate and take affirmative action, this year, plans to hire more staff, conduct more onsite reviews, and place a greater emphasis on affirmative action compliance.  Specifically, OFCCP has announced plans to develop proposed rules to strengthen recruitment and hiring goals for military veterans and persons with disabilities, and to propose new affirmative action standards for the construction industry.

Beginning in February, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will begin to randomly audit an estimated 6,000 U.S. companies.  As one of the agency's largest campaigns since 1984, the results of the audits are expected to generate revenues for the agency as well as provide statistical data on employer tax compliance.

February 16, 18, and 23, 2010 Chapter staff, contractors and attorneys involved in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements should register now for Íæż½ã½ã of America's first-ever Web-based collective bargaining workshop.  The webinar will be conducted in three 90-minute sessions on February 16, 18, and 23, starting at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

According to a news statement issued by the U.S. Department of Labor on December 21, 2009, the program that offers insurance premium reductions to certain employees that were involuntarily terminated and their dependents (collectively known as assistance eligible individuals or AEIs) has been extended.  The extension, which amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), relates to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the 65 percent premium reduction that it offers to AEIs.

On December 10, 2009, Íæż½ã½ã completed its three-day webinar series on the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA): The Ins and Outs of Federal Prevailing Wage Law.  With nearly 400 registered participants, the series helped many current and future federal contractors by providing information necessary to understand the specific requirements of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts in a contractor-friendly manner.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently released an updated version of its Employment Law Guide, an online publication for workers and employers that describes the major employment laws administered by the department.