If you have not already done so, please execute the following ASAP: 1) Bargaining form sent to Mike and 2) registration for the kickoff event.

The contracts require AGC to provide timely notice to the unions. To do so, we need the bargaining forms returned to Mike today. 

We will be hosting a kickoff event on February 28 for the negotiations committee that will feature Ken Simonson, Chief Economist with AGC of America, providing economic outlooks about the Minnesota construction industry including supply chain, demand, inflation and trends. We need to get a final headcount to the facility by Monday morning. Be sure to register here.

The 2022-23 AGC Form Contracts are here! 

MEMBERS can download the latest contracts now for FREE. (We are completing the licensing, so if there’s a glitch, try again in a day or two.)

NON-MEMBERS can purchase access to the contracts on the website.

Super promotion!! We have secured 5 FREE UPLOADS on DocumentCrunch (a $1200 value) for members and nonmembers who subscribe to our contracts.

DocumentCrunch analyzes a construction document and makes a report of either (1) the most important provisions terms making reviewing and negotiating a contract quicker, easier, and more digestible, or (2) a terms report for a PM or Supervisor to reference to comply with the contract terms. This is a great opportunity to get DocumentCrunch benefits for free! More information on DocumentCrunch is here.

On Tuesday, February 15, redistricting maps were released. These new legislative and congressional district boundaries set off a flurry of analysis to determine if current legislators live in their new districts. Between the House and the Senate, just under 30 legislators were paired with another legislator in the same district. Some elected officials will choose to retire, move residences to avoid a match up with existing legislator, or run in the district. These scenarios will continue to play out as legislators make their decisions in the coming days. To learn more and to find out your new district, check out this interactive map.

In construction news, the duty to defend bill was heard in its final committee stop in the House. The bill passed without changes and now heads to the House floor for a possible vote in the future. The bill makes illegal the duty to defend another party in a construction contract and replaces what has been the duty to defend with defense costs becoming an indemnifiable cost at the end of litigation. This is significant change in how insurance works and how owners, generals and subcontractors interact to defend claims. The bill also prohibits the use of project-specific insurance. The bill was heard in the necessary Senate committees last year and resides on the floor in the Senate awaiting final action(s).  

AGC’s Legislative Committee will meet next Thursday. Contact Laura Ziegler if you’d like to join the conversation. 

In honor of Black History Month, AGC of Minnesota is celebrating the historical achievements of African Americans in Minnesota. Despite the challenges of racial discrimination and civil unrest, then and now, African Americans in Minnesota continue to press forward to achieve, above all, “Human” rights.

AGC of Minnesota's commitment to community and resolve in this DEI space remains steadfast. Over the remaining weeks of Black History Month, we will recognize some of the accomplishments and contributions African Americans have made to Minnesota in an effort to educate, inspire and encourage human and civil rights for all people.

In this installment of Black Health and Wellness, we are introducing not only an African American inventor in Minnesota, but the trailblazer behind the first Meals-on-Wheels program; a now national program designed to feed the elderly and those in need.

To sum up the broad scope of Oscar C. Howard’s life, one could say simply that he fed Minnesota— literally. The trained chef moved from managing large industrial cafeterias to owning successful catering businesses, which culminated in the development of the Meals-on-Wheels program. Many others were nourished in a more figurative sense through Howard’s teaching, mentorship, preaching, and philanthropy. Along the way, he broke through countless racial barriers, both official and unspoken. Read more here.

More on Meals-on-Wheels' packaging machine here.

Women in Construction (WIC) Week takes place March 6-12, and plans are already well underway! Click the thumbnail for the flier of events, or learn more here.

AGC of America proudly offers Lean Construction Education Program (LCEP) Courses virtually with a series of three-hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning March 29th and running through May 19th, sessions held from noon to 3 pm EDT via Zoom. 

Register now, or learn more about Lean.

All students who complete the series are eligible to take the CM-Lean Exam and earn your Certificate of Management - Lean Construction