AGC WORKS: ACTION ALERT | New state laws now in effect | CLC's 2020 kick-off | NAWIC nominations now open

Oppose legislation holding GCs liable for
unpaid wages & benefits of subs on private projects
Please contact your State representatives now and urge them to oppose SHB 1395, legislation that requires GCs on private construction projects to be liable for the unpaid wages and benefits of all specialty contractors and sub-subs. (You may remember this bill from last year… it’s back!) AGC opposes wage theft, as the industry is in dire need of attracting new people to the industry. However, this bill is the wrong approach. It claims to encourage "self policing" in the industry, but it actually is the opposite – requiring one business to responsible for the bad actions of another, and raising costs to home buyers and commercial-building tenants in the process.

Click here for the easy-to-use system to send an email to your legislators today! Contact AGC’s legislative office at 360.352.5000 if you have questions. Thank you for making your voice heard!

Last call for WSDOT training in partnering, conflict resolution
WSDOT, in conjunction with AGC of Washington and RHA, LLC, is offering partnering and conflict-resolution training for WSDOT staff and contractor personnel involved in the administration of construction contracts. Sessions are scheduled in Wenatchee (Jan. 28) and Kent (Jan. 29 and Jan. 30). The concept of partnering on construction projects has been around since the early 1990s and embraces the principles of trust and open communications; resolving issues and problems promptly and at the lowest possible level; developing solutions that are agreeable and meet the needs of everyone involved (win-win approach) and more.
Click here to see the event flyer. Seating is limited, so register today!

CLC kicks 2020 off with a bang
Construction Leadership Council members, don't miss the CLC's first event of the year, coming up on Feb. 4 at Cask & Trotter in Seattle's SLU area. Meet the 2020 CLC Steering Committee and socialize with other CLC members while enjoying refreshments -- all brought to you free of charge by AGC of Washington. For new CLC members, this event is not to be missed!
Click here today to register -- attendance is limited, and advance registration is required to attend.

Help us help you! Get involved with Government Affairs
The State legislature returns to Olympia this week for 60 days. Sign-up now to participate in AGC’s Legislative Huddle conference calls, held weekly during the legislative session. The first call is set for tomorrow, January 23 at 7:30 a.m; calls will be held every Thursday at 7:30 during the session. AGC will send out a call reminder, which will include an agenda and tracking list, to those who sign-up. These calls are a great way to stay informed on what’s going on in Olympia and for your lobbyist to get feedback on legislative issues. Click here today to sign-up.
Another way to get involved is to sign-up to receive AGC’s Action Alerts. During session, when issues come up and we need to ask members to contact their legislator(s), we will send out a call-to-action request. We always provide a letter that you can just send to your legislator(s) or you can choose to personalize the letter. When you sign-up, it matches you with your legislators, so you don’t even need to know who they are. With just a few clicks, you can help make those contacts. To sign-up to receive our Action Alerts, click here. Please consider sharing this link with others in our company who might be interested.

Five key changes that paid family/medical leave will bring
(Jason Rossiter, Sebris Busto James) On January 1, 2020, Washington became the fifth state to implement a mandatory paid-family/medical leave program, joining California, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. (Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Oregon have enacted similar laws, but they do not take effect until 2021 or later.) In Washington, the program will be administered by the Employment Security Department (ESD) -- the same agency that presently administers the state’s unemployment-insurance program. Washington employers should already be familiar with the Paid Family and Medical Leave law, as earlier in 2019, employers were required to begin reporting employee wages and submitting premium contributions to ESD. On January 1, however, the landscape became far more complicated... Read more.

Annual CMAA conference coming to Lynnwood
AGC of Washington is a co-sponsor of the Construction Management Association of America Pacific Northwest Chapter's 2020 Annual Construction Conference, coming up on March 20 at the Lynnwood Convention Center. This event is for construction managers, engineers, contractors, owners, designers and providers. The event runs from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.and includes full breakfast and lunch, keynote speaker and break-out sessions throughout the day. Topics include agency updates, contracting methods, emerging technology, new construction trends and much more. CMAA is sponsoring a limited number of student tickets available at $20.00 each. Click here for more event information and registration.

Register now for AGC's 2020 Federal Contractors Conference
Register today for the 2020 AGC Federal Contractors Conference taking place June 8-10, 2020, in Washington, D.C. This is the premier conference for contractors on federal projects to discuss the latest projects, policies and contracting issues with federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Facility Engineering Command, Air Force Civil Engineer Center, General Services Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of State, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Bureau of Reclamation. Attendees will hear from legal experts about the latest federal regulations that will impact their businesses and may have the opportunity to continue a dialogue with federal agencies after the conference. Click here for more information and to register.

WSU presents modular-construction expo in Spokane, Seattle
The MOD X Northwest exposition, hosted by Washington State University on Feb. 5-7, will focus on the emerging offsite modular-construction industry in the Pacific Northwest, spotlighting three areas of modular construction: multi-family, hospitality and innovations. These topics will be explored to discuss how a particular ecology delivers, trains and transitions to a new method of construction.
Day 1 includes a visit to a mass-timber factory and a jobsite tour of the new Catalyst mass-timber building in Spokane. Day 2 will feature a jobsite tour of the citizenM Hotel and Cubix Othello multi-family modular project in Seattle. Day 3 wraps-up with a day-long symposium that will bring together practitioners and industry thought leaders. Click here for more information.

Work begins on Marysville's
new Civic Center
(Lydig Construction)
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Bellevue's latest big
office-tower project
(Sellen Construction)
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New office/factory facility
in Auburn
(Constantine Builders)
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Two-week street closure
under I-5 in Fife
(Guy F. Atkinson Construction)
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228K s.f. Bellevue Connection
sold to partner group
(Unico Properties)
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Demo for first of three buildings
in SODO District
(Rhine Demolition)
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Early-learning center
expands in Yakima
(Tri-Ply Construction)