ICE Webinar: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates and Their Impact on Union Masonry Contractors - 9/29
Contractors get an overview of the trends related to government, owner and general contractor COVID-19 vaccination mandates and their implications for union masonry contractors. Learn how to navigate the challenging collective bargaining, labor relations and staffing landscape mandates will create. Learn how to successfully implement a vaccination policy at your own company, if that is what you decide is best for your business. Presented by John Adams of The John Adams Law Firm. This is a webinar for contractors only, September 29, 3:00-4:30 ET. Click here register.
Last Chance To Register for CMU Checkoff Referendum
Voting Begins Oct 15. and Runs through Nov. 15
If the Checkoff referendum succeeds, producers are expected to contribute roughly $10 million dollars a year towards marketing, research and promotion of CMU products. Please consider reaching out to CMU producers you work with in your area to encourage them to register for the referendum and to vote yes. More information.
Defining Rainscreen Wall Performance Technical Bulletin
The Rainscreen Association in North America (RAiNA), of which ICE is a member, has published its first technical paper from its Performance Committee, which is now available to read on RAINA's website.
Click here to download the paper “RAiNA Technical Bulletin: Defining Rainscreen Wall Performance."
Fall Legislative Outlook
As summer ends, ICE continues to monitor a broad range of issues as they impact our highest priorities including but not limited to, retirement security and pension reform, worker misclassification, workplace COVID requirements and infrastructure spending.
This fall, Congress will consider the bipartisan infrastructure bill, funding the government, increasing the debt ceiling, and consideration of a partisan budget reconciliation bill. With the funding for the current fiscal year ending on September 30, Congress is headed for another continuing resolution to fund the government. So the most pressing item on the agenda will be the need to raise the country’s debt ceiling no later than mid to late October.
Also, Congress faces a deluge of issues to tackle in September. On September 6, the enhanced federal unemployment benefits expired, though there has not been a push for an extension, lagging unemployment numbers and possible inflation mean that any proposed expansion of unemployment benefits will be under scrutiny. In addition to COVID matters, voting rights and the immigration debate, the infrastructure bill is expected to dominate congressional debate this fall.
ICE will continue to analyze the infrastructure bill as it may include construction funding for schools, hospitals, and other public buildings and pension reform measures could possibly be attached to the infrastructure bill. This summer the Senate passed a bipartisan $550 billion infrastructure package that addresses surface transportation programs, water and wastewater infrastructure, energy infrastructure, broadband, and cybersecurity. Additionally, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2022 budget resolution to pave the way for a Democrat-led $3.5 trillion social spending plan via the reconciliation. The budget reconciliation process involves two steps. The first originated with the Senate’s budget resolution that sets spending and revenue levels and the reconciliation process will conclude later in the year when individual congressional committees draft legislation based on the reconciliation instructions outlined in the budget resolution.
This Congress promises to very busy this fall as it considers a historic range of issues and spending levels that are also historic in size and scope. During this time, ICE remains ready and engaged on these issues that most directly impact our members during an action-packed legislative session.
PPP Forgiveness Portal Opens for Loans Up To $150.000
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) launched a Paycheck Protection Program Direct Forgiveness Portal for loans of $150,000 or less. This portal streamlines forgiveness applications to help borrowers attain forgiveness fast. Register and apply for PPP forgiveness here through the SBA. View Portal User Guide
