AGC Central District Report: AGC Action Alert | Transitioning to employee ownership | Build Washington Awards

Transitioning to employee stock ownership
April 21, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

AGC will host an introduction to employee stock-ownership plans (ESOPs) led by Tenor Capital Partners. The agenda includes an overview of the benefits and considerations relating to ESOPs, discussion and Q&A with Tenor representatives as well as with AGC members Charter Construction and Exxel Pacific.
Employee stock-ownership plans provide owners and shareholders of privately held businesses highly customizable, tax-advantaged options for exit and succession planning. These structures are used to facilitate transition of the business through the use of employee ownership. With tax rates expected to increase significantly in 2022, ESOPs are more relevant than ever. Register today…

Culture of CARE 2021 Spring Forum
The 2021 Culture of CARE Spring Forum on April 29 will delve into the topic of LGBTQ worker inclusion on construction jobsites. Hosting the forum is acclaimed jobsite culture advocate and superintendent at Hensel Phelps, Kabri Lehrman-Schmidt. Our featured program will be presented by Morgan Mentzer, co-founder and attorney at the Lavender Rights Project, a LGBTQI+ legal-services nonprofit, and co-founder of the Reckoning Trade Project, a nonprofit focusing on increasing representation and retention of LGBTQI+ trades workers.
Morgan will give our Forum audience an overview of the Reckoning Trade Project's training resources for LGTBQI+ inclusion, and give us a primer on best practices for employers to create inclusive practices for gender diversity in the workplace. She'll focus on gender diversity in the trades and explain the differences between sex, gender identity and sexual orientation; pronoun usage, and state/federal discrimination law. Register today...

Paycheck Protection Program extended

The U.S. Senate has voted 92-7 to extend the current Paycheck Protection Program round to May 31. Struggling small businesses and non-profits now have two more months to secure a forgivable PPP loan. Washington employers have secured 54,471 loans totaling over $4.6B in 2021 alone.
PPP now allows certain eligible borrowers that previously received a PPP loan to apply for a second-draw PPP loan with the same general loan terms as their first-draw PPP loan. All eligible entities can apply through a participating lender until then. Read More...

Accidents will happen -- but how you respond is up to you

We all know your firm has safety as the first priority and your crews operate safety. Inevitably though, accidents will happen and how your team handles it from the first minute can make a huge difference in how everything is perceived both internally and externally. To help you on providing some guidance we have connected with Marc Mullen, with Marc Mullen Communications, a respected crisis-communication expert who has shared some great insights on how to approach a crisis.
Preparing for effective crisis communication What is crisis communication? It's doing the right thing and making sure people know about it. Effective communication starts with effective response. First, respond well. No amount of talking to stakeholders will make up for bad response actions. Make sure your emergency response plan is updated and accurate.
Provide information promptly, proactively and accurately. Provide speed and accuracy by having a crisis-communication plan that plays well with your emergency-response plan. Coordinate communication activities with response activities. Share facts as quickly as you can. Read more…

In your last AGC WORKS newsletter
Cap-and-trade bill moves closer to passage in Olympia
In a 13-11 party-line vote on March 22, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s keystone "cap-and-invest" bill for capping carbon emissions cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee and headed to the floor for a possible vote. AGC opposes the measure.
The action was significant, because it indicates a level of Democratic support that some of Inslee’s past climate initiatives have failed to garner. Read more...
[ See the most recent AGC WORKS newsletter here ]

AGC urges passage of comprehensive transportation funding
AGC of Washington is urging the State legislature to pass a comprehensive transportation funding package this year.
"A bold infrastructure package will support job creation and recovery; putting folks to work, moving goods more effectively and efficiently, and ensuring mobility for our essential workers," AGC and nearly 100 other organizations told legislators in a recent letter sent by the Keep Washington Rolling coalition. A full copy of the letter with all the signers – who include business, labor, environmental and local government groups – can be seen here.
Different proposals have been floated in Olympia. Sen. Steve Hobbs, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, has drafted a $17-billion, 16-year plan. Meanwhile, Rep. Jake Fey, chair of the House Transportation Committee, has drafted a $26-billion, 16-year plan. Neither proposal has been put into legislative language yet as negotiations continue. 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.

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

Construction Technical Skills B:
Interpreting Blueprint Plans and Specifications
April 5 – May 6 (5:00 pm – 8:00pm) | Remote Class | Register today

Supervisory Training Program Unit 4: Contract Documents
April 13 – 22 (5:00 pm – 8:00 pm) | Remote Class | Register today

24-Hour Fall-Protection Competent Person
April 20 – 22 (7:30 am – 4:30 pm) | Seattle | Register today

Supervisory Training Program Unit 5:
Improving Productivity & Managing Project Costs
April 26 – May 5 (5:00 pm – 8:00 pm) | Remote Class | Register today

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