Friday, October 31, 2014

REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE - NOVEMBER, 2014



Welcome to the November, 2014 Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) REGIONAL CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE.  October was a whirlwind month where we saw not only the foliage and the weather change, but also some exciting changes at GMCS  as well!  Positive changes that will benefit contractors and facility owners throughout the Mid-Atlantic!  

GMCS Contracted Labor & Industry Relations Services clients already have access to our industry wide network of contractors when employers need to fill important leadership roles within their organizations.  GMCS regularly assists their contracted clients and national recruiting firms in securing qualified and experienced personnel placements for mission critical positions such as, project executives, project managers, estimators, superintendents and facilities experts. In response to this ever growing demand, GMCS is pleased to formally announce an addition to our already valuable industry services and the official launch of our newest industry offering, Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) - Recruiting Experts in Construction Executive & Project Leadership Search.  GMCS now offers employer fee-paid recruitment services concentrating in the Mid-Atlantic construction industry marketplace. With over 25 years of industry contacts & experience within the Philadelphia metropolitan region and developed industry relationships to work from, GMCS has become a powerful recruiting organization in this region’s construction industry marketplace.  Our goal is to provide our clients and candidates with superior quality recruitment services while maintaining the highest degree of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism.  Go here to find out more about our Employer and Candidate Services.  In addition to employer fee-paid recruitment services, GMCS maintains an active network of experienced industry professional candidates that are currently exploring their next career opportunity.  GMCS actively markets these candidates to both regional and national firms as well as partnering recruitment agencies throughout the country.  Interested candidates and employers should contact Wayne Gregory today at wegregory@gregorymcs.com to discuss the best GMCS employment and recruitment solution for you.

The regional commercial construction marketplace is, for lack of a more definitive word, hot!  GMCS continues to collaborate with regional developers, governmental authorities, facility owners, contactors and trades to advance our projects and to prepare for even more in the coming months.  Developers, facility owners and contractors continue to recognize the value of bringing GMCS into the discussion early on in the planning phases of their projects.  Developers and facility owners and contractors find tangible value and security in GMCS’s broad regional contractor knowledge base, trusted relationships and continued participation in industry wide discussions that seek to maintain harmony between facility owners, constructors and building trades.  We accomplish this through our long standing and trusted relationships in government, management and labor through the application of collaborative engagement and open discussion.  We help project stakeholders reach mutually acceptable resolutions enabling projects, their contractors and employees to return to work quickly.  In many cases, even before the dispute reaches the project.  GMCS is filling the industry leadership void by providing an open conduit for communication amongst the region’s developers, facility owners, governmental authorities, employer associations, trades and industry stakeholders through facilitating discussions that lead to solutions.  GMCS nurtures a Culture of Collaboration, Communication and Cooperation amongst Contractors and Building Trades.  GMCS remains firmly committed to our contractors and our industry.  Developers and facility owners should consider making GMCS an integral part of their next project planning team.  We continue to be a conduit for communication amongst the region’s employer associations, trades and industry stakeholders.  Many association members and national & local contractors, have come to rely on our professional and respected service when they need estimating, bidding and or project advice.  Did you know that national contractors that are interested in working within the Philadelphia marketplace contact GMCS for advice on establishing key relationships within the industry and its AEC community to gain a better understanding of the region’s collective bargaining agreements, language and contractor base?  If you or your employer association aren’t working with GMCS, perhaps it’s time to reconsider? 

Having successfully resolved hundreds of matters related to area collective bargaining agreements and contractors throughout the Philadelphia metropolitan, Lehigh Valley and the entire Mid-Atlantic region, GMCS has become the only recognized, educated, experienced and reliable source for labor & industry relation’s support.  GMCS  is the single, unbiased, industry wide provider of labor & industry relation’s support for the Mid-Atlantic region assuring information sharing, professional, educated and experienced support to the entire industry along with centralized labor event tracking, data sharing and a vendor that serves each association & contractor, not just a single association’s board of directors.  This is the most effective and equitable model in management side construction labor relations.   Association members interested in receiving these valuable and informative support services through their associations should contact their board of directors and request a free consultation.  Independent contractor signatories and facility owners are urged to contact Wayne Gregory directly at GMCS, wegregory@gregorymcs.comWe are focused on facilitating communication and collaboration amongst our construction employer associations, constructors, facility owners, building trades and governmental bodies with an emphasis on creating a centralized, focused community that actively promotes labor harmony, industry advancement, contractor opportunities and workforce development. 

This month’s newsletter is comprised of the most popular postings over the last 30 days on gregorymcs.blogspot.com. They are listed by the following categories: INDUSTRY, LABOR, OSHA, MULTIEMPLOYER PENSION PLANS, HUMAN RESOURCES. Additional topics and subject matter may be found on the GMCS companion blog @ gregorymcs.blogspot.comGMCS continues to track relevant industry legislation and provide summary updates through its companion blog under the Gregory Legislative Subscription Service (GLASS) Reports. Associations and organizations that subscribe to the GMCS GLASS Reports receive timely updates to each piece of legislation impacting their organizations as they occur along.  Between our companion blog at gregorymcs.blogspot.com and the newsletter, our monthly industry reach continues to exceed 4,500 industry professionals interested in discovering more about the latest Industry, Labor, OSHA, Multi-Employer Benefit Plans and HR developments here in the regional construction marketplace and abroad.  Sponsorship and marketing opportunities are available to industry stakeholders and contractors; interested firms should contact Wayne Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com for more information.  

INDUSTRY:

Everyone Finishes First at Boot Camp Programs: Labor and Management Working together to Educate the Industry:


Labor-Management partnerships are not necessarily new and innovative.   However, utilizing those partnerships to advance an industry through educational offerings for disciplines outside of those direct stakeholder groups is.  That is what takes place at the Boot Camp programs developed and promoted through the labor-management industry fund, the Architectural Glass Institute (AGI).

Read more here…

Philadelphia development projects want $341M in state funds” Everyone is looking for a handout”:

Developers, institutions and companies that are proposing projects throughout Philadelphia have sought more than $341 million in taxpayer funds from the Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.

Read more here…

Senior Project Manager / Over (20) years experience available - Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS) - Recruiting Experts in Construction Executive & Project Leadership Search:

GMCS is currently working with and seeking to place a highly qualified Senior Project Manager with over (20) years of professional management experience in the higher education and private sector marketplaces with Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.  This candidate is very experienced with working within the Philadelphia commercial marketplace and is currently exploring new career opportunities through GMCS’s regional industry network.  Career professionals with these qualifications, certifications and direct marketplace experience simply do not come along that often.   .

Read more here…

Thriving University City is key to city's growth:

If you've noticed the half-dozen or so construction cranes that define the University City skyline these days, you may sense that the foundation of Philadelphia's next-generation economy is rising before our eyes. In many ways, an entirely new neighborhood is taking form on the western banks of the Schuylkill.

Read more here…

PennDOT selects out-of-state team for $899M bridge replacements:

A massive statewide bridge replacement project worth $899 million was awarded to a construction group headed up by firms from California and Illinois.

Read more here…

Value of Construction Put in Place at a Glance:

The U.S. Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced today that construction spending during August 2014 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $961.0 billion, 0.8 percent (±1.8%)* below the revised July estimate of $968.8 billion. The August figure is 5.0 percent (±2.3%) above the August 2013 estimate of $915.3 billion.

Read more here…

Construction Employment Increases in 236 out of 339 Metro Areas between Sept. 2013 and 2014 amid Growing Demand and Ongoing Worker shortages.:

Construction employment expanded in 236 metro areas, declined in 53 and was stagnant in 50 between September 2013 and September 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said that as firms expand their payrolls, many are finding a limited supply of available qualified workers.

Read more here…

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- SEPTEMBER 2014 - Construction Adds 16,000:

“In September, construction employment continued on an upward trend (+16,000). Within the industry, employment in residential building increased by 6,000. Over the year, construction has added 230,000 jobs.”

Read more here…

GLASS Report: Legislative Action Alert: House Bill 1543: Regular Session 2013-2014: Approved by the Governor, Act No. 160:

An Act amending the act of October 17, 2008 (P.L.1645, No.132), known as the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, providing for the definition of "time and materials"; and further providing for procedures for registration as a contractor and for home improvement contracts.

Read more here…

GLASS Report: Legislative Action Alert: House Bill 1565: Regular Session 2013-2014, Approved by the Governor, Act No. 162:

Legislation amending the Clean Streams Law (Act 394 of 1937) clarifying that riparian buffer and riparian forest buffers shall not be required under the act but may be used as a choice among best management practices or design standards to minimize pollution from erosion and sedimentation.

Read more here…

GLASS Report: Legislative Action Alert: House Bill 473: Regular Session 2013-2014: Approved by the Governor, Act No. 142:

An Act amending the act of August 24, 1963 (P.L.1175, No.497), known as the Mechanics' Lien Law of 1963, further providing for definitions; and providing for State Construction Notices Directory, for failure to file notice of furnishing, for notice of commencement, notice of furnishing and third party notice, for notice of completion, for notice and for prohibition.

Read more here…

Glasstec 2014 – The Worldwide Epicenter of All Things Glazing:

Glasstec 2014: Top Take-Aways. Read more here…

Glasstec Exhibitors Feel the Heat from China, read more here…

Go to the glasstec 2014 website by going here…

BIM Evolved: Trend Toward BIM Calls for Glaziers to Get on Board:

“So many benefits are derived from BIM—from the building owner, to the architect, to the general contractor, and it will become a way of life for the glass and glazing subcontractor on a regular basis in the not-too-distant future,” says Richard D. Voreis, chief executive officer of Consulting Collaborative.

Read more here….

BIM Evolved: Trimble and Gehry form strategic alliance - Trimble continues its AEC acquisition trend, this time bagging the technical expertise and products of Gehry Technologies:

Trimble has acquired the LA-based software and consulting services arm of Gehry Technologies. The ‘alliance’ will “work to enhance the collaboration in the construction industry by further connecting the office to on-site construction technologies”, the two firms said in a joint statement.

Read more here…

BIM Evolved: BIM benefits outlined by building industry pro:

Mortenson Construction has used building information modeling, or BIM, in conjunction with virtual design and construction since 1998 when it started work on the Walt Disney Concert Hall project, a multi-award winning structure with a curved steel frame in Los Angeles. The project team found that BIM/VDC was essential in the project, in large part because it helped them visualize complex sequences of work that before had only been listed in an Excel worksheet or on a Gantt chart

Read more here…

BIM Evolved: market predicted to grow to a CAGR 17. 4%, Scan to BIM – an emerging trend:

BIM proposes, improved project coordination, better designs, project scheduling and accurate material takeoffs and hence improved cost estimation. Ability of BIM to detect clashes at an early stage eliminates last moment clash detection and mitigation costs during the construction process, hence contributes to major cost savings

Read more here…

Architecture Billings Index Shows Robust Conditions Ahead for Construction Industry:

With all geographic regions and building project sectors showing positive conditions, there continues to be a heightened level of demand for design services signaled in the latest Architecture Billings Index (ABI). As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the September ABI score was 55.2, up from a mark of 53.0 in August.

Read more here…

LABOR:

EIGHTY-THREE PERCENT OF CONSTRUCTION FIRMS REPORT HAVING TROUBLE FINDING QUALIFIED WORKERS TO MEET GROWING DEMAND FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES:

Most construction firms report they are having trouble finding qualified craft workers to fill key spots as the industry recovers from its years-long downturn, according to the results of an industry-wide survey released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called for new career and technical school programs, as well as other workforce measures to offset the labor shortages.

Read more here…

Union carpenters strikes over contract with nonunion workers at Bucks County Justice Center:

Members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters set up a picket line Monday at the entrances to the new Bucks County Justice Center, protesting a $1.3 million furniture contract with a company that does not pay prevailing wages.

Read more here…

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – August 2014.

There were 4.8 million job openings on the last business day of August, up from 4.6 million in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.3 percent) was down and the separations rate (3.2 percent) was essentially unchanged in August. Within separations, the quits rate (1.8 percent) was unchanged and the layoffs and discharges rate (1.1 percent) was little changed. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by four geographic regions.

Read more here…

Domestic Energy Exploration Creates 45,000 Construction Jobs:

There has been a lot of discussion about the development of oil and natural gas resources from the Marcellus shale.  But precious little of that discussion has focused on the economic benefits associated with Marcellus oil and natural gas reserves.

Read more here…

Marcellus Shale Projects Boosting Building Trades:

While construction projects and jobs in non-shale gas related industries declined sharply from 2008 to 2014, tradesman in five states within or near to the Marcellus Shale worked more hours and benefited heavily from investments in the formation's development, according to a new study

Read more here…

NLRB Postpones Creation Of Employee Right To Use Employer E-Mail For Union Activity:

On April 30, 2014, the National Labor Relations Board invited submission of amicus briefs in the case of Purple Communications, Inc. (Cases 21-CA-095151; 21-RC-091531; and 21-RC-091584), as it considered whether to overrule precedent to create an employee right to use an employer’s electronic mail systems for union activity. The administrative law judge, relying on Register Guard, 351 NLRB 1110 (2007), dismissed the allegation that the employer violated Section 8(a)(1) of the National Labor Relations Act by prohibiting use of its electronic equipment and email systems for activity unrelated to the employer’s business purposes. The General Counsel and union excepted.

Read more here…

Kimmel Center reaches deal with unions:

Four union units at the Kimmel Center represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have new contracts. About 300 stagehands, 130 ushers, 15 ticket sellers and three dozen wardrobe employees will work under a new deal that takes effect Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 2019, says Mike Barnes, the chief of IATSE local 8. In exchange for some changes in work rules and giving up premium rates and guarantees for a few workers, the union negotiated raises averaging 2.9 percent each year for five years across all the units, Barnes said.

Read more here…

Employers face crackdown over worker misclassification:

Since the onset of the recession, there has been a surge in worker misclassification litigation and enforcement against employers that are trying to effectively manage their finances, but are incorrectly classifying their workers. There is also concern around the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate, which may make misclassifications a tempting alternative to offering group health coverage.

The Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue oversee the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which establishes minimum wage and overtime pay standards and how much private and public employers should pay their employees. At the state level, there are also a slew of regulations that can make any HR professional or benefit plan sponsor concerned. 

Read more here…

Regional Collective Bargaining Settlement Sheets available:

GMCS has compiled a detailed settlement report defining the regional trade settlements from last year’s collective bargaining as well as detailing the previously negotiated settlements for trades and associations. Copies are available to associations engaged in regional negotiations.  Please contact GMCS at wegregory@gregorymcs.com today for instructions on how to receive your copy.  

GMCS is the Philadelphia Region’s Leading Labor Relations Solutions Provider:

A recent study by the Center for Construction Research and Training indicates that work site conflict costs, on average, $11,000.00 per incident.  GMCS provides contracted labor relations services to many of the region’s employer associations, contractors, facility owners and industry stakeholders helping you to avoid those costly conflicts.  With two levels of affordable annual agreements costing less than 50% of the cost of an average conflict, contracted labor relations services can help your organization stay on schedule and budget.

Contact wegregory@gregorymcs.com for your consultation today.

WTI: WTI Signals Stronger Wage Growth by Early 2015:

The rate of annual pay increases for private sector workers is headed modestly higher in the coming months, according to the final third-quarter Wage Trend Indicator™ (WTI) released today by Bloomberg BNA, a leading publisher of specialized news and information.

Read more here…

OSHA & SAFETY:

OSHA extends compliance date for crane operator certification requirements:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a final rule extending the deadline for crane operator certification requirements in the Cranes and Derricks in Construction final rule* published Aug. 9, 2010 by three years to Nov. 10, 2017. The rule also extends by three years the employer's responsibility to ensure that crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely. The final rule becomes effective Nov. 9, 2014.

Read more here…

OSHA announces new requirements for reporting severe injuries and updates list of industries exempt from record-keeping requirements:

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today announced a final rule* requiring employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. The rule, which also updates the list of employers partially exempt from OSHA record-keeping requirements, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction.

Read more here…

OSHA seeks proposals for online OSHA Outreach Training Program:

OSHA is seeking proposals to provide OSHA 10- and 30-hour Outreach Training Program courses online in the construction, general and maritime industries, and targeted training for young workers. The 10-hour class is intended for entry-level workers, while the 30-hour class is more appropriate for workers with some safety responsibility. Applications must be submitted in writing to OSHA by 4 p.m. CT on Dec. 12, 2014. For more information on submitting an application, visit the OSHA Outreach Training Program Web page.

Read more here…

OSHA launches a national dialogue on hazardous chemical exposures and permissible exposure limits in the workplace:

OSHA is launching a national dialogue with stakeholders on ways to prevent work-related illness caused by exposure to hazardous substances. The first stage of this dialogue is a request for information on the management of hazardous chemical exposures in the workplace and strategies for updating permissible exposure limits.

Read more here…

OSHA's homepage gets a facelift:

This month OSHA launched a new version of its home page at www.osha.gov. The page features a balance of graphics and text, making it easier to navigate. Drop down menus allow visitors to find information with one click. There is a “How To” section where users can get easy access to information in high demand such as OSHA’s FREE workplace poster and recordkeeping and reporting resources.

Read more here…

Overturns and Falls Lead Aerial-Work-Platform Deaths:

Overturns and falls from height were the two leading causes of aerial-work-platform fatalities globally in the first half of the year, according to new data from the International Powered Access Federation.

Read more here…

Alliance with Scaffold and Access Industry Association renewed to protect workers from scaffold hazards:

OSHA has renewed its alliance with the Scaffold and Access Industry Association to provide information and training to protect the safety and health of workers who use scaffolds and lift equipment. Through the alliance, OSHA and SAIA will work to reduce and prevent fall and caught-in-between hazards and issues related to frame, mast climbing and suspended scaffolds and aerial lift equipment.

Read more here…

OSHA urges Employers to prevent texting while driving:

OSHA reminds employers that they have a responsibility to protect their workers by prohibiting texting while driving. It is a violation of the OSH Act if employers require workers to text while driving, create incentives that encourage or condone it, or structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their job.

Read more here…

OSHA National fall Prevention Program:

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and OSHA is working with NIOSH and the National Occupational Research Agenda to get the word out about how to "Plan, Provide, Train" to prevent fatal falls. To learn more, please check out OSHA’s Fall Prevention Campaign resource page here…

MULTI-EMPLOYER PLAN UPDATE:

Milliman analysis: Milliman Pension Funding Index, October 2014:

The funded status of the 100 largest corporate defined benefit pension plans improved by $26 billion during September as measured by the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index (PFI). The deficit dropped to $253 billion from $279 billion at the end of August, primarily due to an increase in the benchmark corporate bond interest rates used to value pension liabilities. As of September 30, the funded ratio rose to 85.2%, up from 84.1% at the end of August. The projected benefit obligation (PBO), or pension liabilities, decreased by $45 billion during September, lowering the Milliman 100 PFI value to $1.709 trillion from $1.754 trillion at the end of August.

Read more here…

2014 Multiemployer Pension Funding Study:

Thanks to a combination of favorable investment experience, contribution increases, and benefit reductions, funding levels for multiemployer plans have nearly returned to pre-crash funding levels, at least on an aggregated basis. The significant improvement in aggregate funded status since early 2009 reflects not only favorable investment returns, but also contribution increases (including withdrawal liability collections) and benefit reductions enacted by plans as they responded to the financial crisis.

Read more here…

Multiemployer Alert: The new ASOP 27: What is the impact on multiemployer plan funding?:

The Actuarial Standards Board (ASB) has approved a revised version of Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOP) No. 27, Selection of Economic Assumptions for Measuring Pension Obligations. The new standard is effective for any actuarial work product with a measurement date on or after September 30, 2014. For a calendar year plan, this means the new standard will first apply to the 2015 actuarial valuation. Economic assumptions covered by ASOP 27 include the investment return, discount rate, inflation, postemployment benefit increases, compensation increases, and any other related assumptions. The greatest impact of the revised ASOP may appear in the development of multiemployer pension plan liabilities through its effect on the actuary’s selection of the investment return assumption.

Read more here…

Analysis: Liberal Analysts Drop $42 Billion Bombshell Into NJ Pension Debate:

A very interesting perspective on a DB/DC plan conversion.  Although, Iam left wondering what assumptions were used when calculating the conversion costs.  If you sit on a DB fund and or administer a collective bargaining agreement that is associated with a DB fund with unfunded liability, this is well worth a read.

Read more here…

Group annuity, lump sum plan to help Motorola unload pension liability:

Motorola Solutions is incorporating a new group annuity and lump sum payment plan into the makeup of its traditional defined benefit plan that will help the communications company shave $4.2 billion in growing liabilities and benefit payments off its balance sheet.

Read more here…

HUMAN RESOURCES:

NLRB continues aggressive crackdown on social media policies:

GMCS Editorial:  An excellent article on the woes of employer social media policies and the NLRB.  Not only does it contain a summary of relevant cases, it also contains links to the NLRB decisions and why the NLRB arrived at the decision.  It’s well worth a read for all HR professionals.

Read more here…

Report: Cost of health care to rise significantly:

Projections by nonpartisan experts with the federal Health and Human Services Department indicate the pace of health-care spending will pick up starting this year and beyond. The introduction of expensive new drugs for the liver-wasting disease hepatitis C also contributes to the speed-up in the short run.

Read more here…

5 things to consider before rehiring boomerang employees:

When the question used to come up of whether to rehire a former employee, many employers aligned with one school of thinking: “If you thought the grass was greener on the other side, you can stay there.”

This particular mindset, however, has increasingly becoming the minority view. This attitude shift is forcing recruiters and employers to rethink not only their recruiting strategies, but also their hiring and exit strategies.

Read more here…

Severance Agreements—They’re Business Transactions

To avoid having your severance agreement challenged by the EEOC or NLRB, says Van Parys, include language to the effect that the former employee has the right to file charges and participate in investigations with the National Labor Relations Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Read more here…

Drafting Severance Agreements—Do’s and Don’ts to Avoid EEOC Attention):

Two recently filed EEOC lawsuits reveal that severance packages are even trickier than we thought, says Attorney Joel Van Parys. It’s fine to use a template for these agreements, but it is also important to look at them individually.

Read more here…

IRS increases allowable 401(k) contribution levels;

Thanks to new cost-of-living adjustments, the Internal Revenue Service is allowing the American workforce to save a bit more in their retirement plans next year.

Starting in 2015, employees will be able contribute up to $18,000 to their 401(k)s, an increase of $500. This also applies to participants of 403(b), most 457 plans and the federal government’s Thrift Savings Plan. The agency noted that increases in the cost-of-living index triggered changes for dollar and contribution limitations.

Read more here…

Open enrollment communications must move beyond status quo:

In a perfect world, big decisions would be allowed a lot of time to be made and come with all the pertinent information. Or, even better, decision time and support would be proportional to the impact. However, in today’s uncertain and rapidly changing business environment, such luxuries are rare.

Decisions of all shapes and sizes are often given little time for due consideration, and the decision-maker isn’t necessarily armed with the need-to-know facts and figures. That’s why simply maintaining the status quo is often a tempting alternative.

Read more here…

This e-mail newsletter has been provided complimentary to Associations and industry stakeholders by Wayne Gregory of Gregory Management & Consulting Services (GMCS).  Wayne Gregory has been the recognized regional leader in the areas of Labor & Industry Relations since 2005 and is continuing to serve the industry and its multi-employer Associations under the GMCS brand, Knowledge, Trust, Integrity and a unwavering commitment to Serve the industry.  From Association Management & Executive Leadership services,  Owner Representation, Government & Legislative Affairs & Subscription Services and Labor & Industry Relations, let GMCS help your Associations and organizations to forge a new and clear path forward.
We hope that you enjoy the new newsletter format and welcome all comments and suggestions regarding these changes.  You may forward those to Wayne Gregory @ wegregory@gregorymcs.com.
Best wishes to all for a safe, prosperous, healthy & harmonious 2014.
Sincerely,
Wayne E. Gregory
Gregory Management & Consulting Services
2869 Eagleville Road
Audubon, PA 19403-2051
Phone: (215) 498-5790
On the web: www.gregorymcs.com
The information contained within this e-mail is provided free of charge to you as a service to the industry.  Any information or advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon by you or any other person, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties, or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any advice addressed herein. This e-mail contains PRIVILEGED AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION intended only for the use of the Individual(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering this to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error or no longer wish to receive future Industry Updates, please immediately notify us by telephone at (215)-498-5790 or notify us by e-mail at wegregory@gregorymcs.com

OFCCP Extends Comment Period for Equal Pay Report Proposal



OFCCP will extend by 60 days the public comment period for a proposed rule on collecting summary pay data from federal contractors and subcontractors. The new deadline to comment is January 5, 2015. For more information, please see the press release available online. To submit comments or learn more about the Equal Pay Report NPRM, please visit our resource page at www.dol.gov/ofccp/EPR.

$32 million training center going up at Fort Indiantown Gap



The Pennsylvania National Guard broke ground Friday morning on its $32 million Eastern Army National Guard Aviation Training Site at the Fort Indiantown Gap National Guard Training Center in Union Township.

Contract talks resume in SEPTA labor dispute



PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --Talks have resumed between SEPTA and the transit workers union as both sides work to avoid a strike.

The two sides met Thursday in a conference room at the Wyndham Hotel in Old City.

SEPTA and union still far apart in contract talks, says source



Despite reports earlier this week that SEPTA and it's largest union are making strides toward signing a new contract, a source close to the negotiations said the two sides are still far apart — meaning that the possibility of a strike is very much on the table.