AGC Central District Report: District centennial celebration, Aug. 30 | Safety Forum wrap-up | Wildfire smoke rules in effect | WSDOT partnering training

Central District celebrates
the AGCW Centennial

August 30, 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Plan to join us at the Yakima Valley Museum as AGC’s Central District celebrates AGC of Washington’s century of service!
We’ll be recognizing contractors’ construction history (Wanapum Dam construction in photo at right) while we tour the museum and enjoy wine, beer and appetizers. Space is limited—register today!
Keep an eye on the AGCW website’s Events Page for other district celebrations and of course, the chapter-wide Centennial Celebration on September 16.

Join us in celebrating
A Century of Service

REGISTER TODAY!
This September 16, at Seattle’s Bell Harbor International Conference Center, we’ll come together for The Night of the Century to celebrate and reflect on the rich history of AGC of Washington, our members and our industry. We’ll celebrate our accomplishments over generations—and begin work on the next chapter of challenges and successes for our industry… for our future.
Registration is now open, with great AGC block rates available too, at the Waterfront Marriott. Get the whole scoop and register here.

Emotional intelligence: Your business-development superpower!
September 28, 11:00 a.m.
Research shows that emotional intelligence can get you further in life than a traditional I.Q. Emotions that are properly managed can drive trust, loyalty, commitment and better health.
Join AGC of America on September 28 at 11:00 pm PDT for a webinar session to learn how to manage your emotions in positive ways to communicate effectively, build and maintain client relationships, and increase leadership skills.
In this webinar, you'll learn:
- the four cornerstones of EQ (emotional literacy, emotional fitness, emotional depth, emotional alchemy) and how they impact the workplace and your personal life.
- how to self-identify EQ strengths and weaknesses.
- how to apply the five pillars of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, motivation, empathy, self-regulation and social skills) into your BD strategy to communicate your brand message in a way that is thoughtful, authentic and human. Free to AGC members -- register today.

WSDOT partnering-resolution workshops offered in October
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), in conjunction with AGC of Washington, Inland NW AGC and RHA, LLC, will be providing Partnering and Conflict Resolution training sessions to WSDOT staff and contractor personnel involved in the administration of construction contracts.
The events are coming up on Oct. 12 (now sold out) and Oct. 13 at the Seattle AGC Building.
Click here to see the event flyer, and register here for the Oct. 13 session.

Wildfire-smoke emergency rule now in effect
(Dept. of Labor & Industries) L&I’s Wildfire Smoke 2022 Emergency Rule requires employers to monitor air quality and take action when outdoor workers are exposed to wildfire smoke and the Air-Quality Index (AQI) is at 101 or higher. Some actions are required at an AQI of 69.
When workers show signs of injury or illness related to smoke, employers must monitor those workers to determine if medical care is needed and cannot prevent workers from seeking medical treatment.
If the AQI is at 69 or higher, employers are encouraged to limit their workers’ exposure to smoke by
   • reducing, rescheduling, or relocating work;
   • providing enclosed buildings or vehicles where the air is filtered; and,
   • reducing the work intensity or increasing rest periods.
When the AQI is at 101 or higher, steps to limit workers’ exposure to smoke is required whenever feasible.
At AQI 69 or higher, employers are encouraged to provide respirators at no cost to the workers and workers can wear respiratory protection if they choose. At AQI 101, employers must provide respirators for voluntary use—an increase in protection from last year’s wildfire smoke rule.
Visit L&I’s Wildfire Smoke web page for more information. Contact me if you need updated policy templates.

Summer
Safety Forums
a success
Mandi and I are so thankful for the awesome Safety Forum events we had this week. They would not have happened without the help of Cindy Olson of National Safety. We had great and very informative presentations on hand safety and proper PPE selection (Majestic Glove), ladder safety (photo, Little Giant Ladder), wildfire-smoke respirator requirements and a fall-protection demo (3M).
Thank you all who came out and joined us! Stay tuned for upcoming forums and events.

Primary election: Disappointing is the word to describe it
The August 2 primary election was disappointing to those seeking greater balance in the state Legislature, including AGC’s BUILD PAC. Many challengers in swing districts did not fare as well as hoped.
In 2018, the primary election numbers looked similarly bad for Republican candidates, but with a lot of hard work and additional financial support, several candidates were able to turn things around to win in the general election. House Republicans believe that there are eight seats they have a chance at picking up and in the Senate republicans they feel they have a fighting chance at still picking up three seats. Picking up these seats would not give the republicans the majority in either house but make the numbers closer so they would have to work together.
All the central Washington candidates that AGC’s BUILD PAC endorsed easily won their primary elections and we anticipate will win in the general.
Here's a link to election results for all Central District candidates.
The key to achieving the desired balance in the legislature in November is to get the vote out. AGC’s BUILD PAC extends a huge thanks to everyone for their contributions to PAC, for interviewing candidates, and for participating in the Central District BUILD PAC golf tournament.
If you're interested in making a contribution to any of these candidates, please reach out and I can get you that information. Just a reminder the maximum contribution that can be made is $1,000. We will continue to keep you informed as we move through election season.

Comments sought for L&I wage-posting policy draft
L&I is accepting comments on its draft administrative policy for the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act. This Act includes the requirement to provide salary and benefits information in job-opening postings.
The draft policy includes new details about how the new "wage-posting" law is intended to work.
For example, with regard to questions about an out-of-state employer hiring for a position in-state, or on out-of-state position being hired by an in-state employer, the draft policy says all are covered by the law. An out-of-state employer would have to provide salary and benefit information for positions in Washington, and Washington employers would have to provide the information for any out-of-state position.
These and other details can be found, and comments submitted, here. Read more...

What recession would look like for construction

(Construction Dive) Industry experts have identified eight steps that builders can take in order to prepare their businesses for an economic downturn.
Preserve cash, build backlog and target federal contracts in case a recession sinks the U.S. economy. That’s the winning game plan for construction pros during these uncertain economic times, sources told Construction Dive.
Whether a recession is here now or is waiting in the wings, industry experts suggested now is the time for construction companies to start shoring up their businesses, just in case. Here are some of their top tips for getting recession-ready. Read more…

Washington employers should prepare for historically high increases in minimum wage, exempt-salary requirements
(Susan Eberle Stahlfeld, Partner, and David E. Worley, Associate, Miller Nash LLP) Washington employers should prepare for historically high increases in minimum wage, exempt-salary requirements…
As all Washington employers know, Washington employees who are nonexempt (e.g., not salaried) must be paid an hourly minimum wage. Additionally, Washington establishes minimum salaries for exempt (i.e., salaried) employees, which tracks the minimum wage.
As all Washington employers also know, Washington’s minimum wage is indexed to inflation and goes up every January 1. Given the high rate of inflation this year, Washington employers should anticipate significant increases in both the state minimum wage and exempt salary requirements, effective January 1, 2023. Employers with Seattle/SeaTac hourly employees will likely see even more substantial increases for those employees. Read more…

The AGC Education Foundation continues to offer virtual continuing-education classes in a live, interactive, remote environment. They're working closely with instructors to maintain high-quality training programs and are finding great success in the virtual environment.

Remote CESCL: Stormwater BMPs for Construction Recertification
August 22 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm)

First Aid/CPR with AED
August 24 (4:00 pm – 8:00 pm)

CTS A: Reading Blueprints
September 6-22 (4:30 pm – 8:00 pm)

STP Unit 1 – Leadership & Motivation
September 6 (5:00 pm – 8:00 pm)

Visit the AGC Education Foundation website for more information
on upcoming classes and programs.

For in-person training, please reach out directly to
Central District manager Celina Venegas-Sanchez.
We'll coordinate training locations and times according to your needs.