AGC Seattle District Report: Vax-mandate Town Hall replay | L&I proposes rate increase

Seattle District membership meeting, Oct. 19

The Future of Business in Seattle and Bellevue - Featuring CEOs from The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Bellevue Chamber.
Join us at the next Seattle District Breakfast meeting for a special presentation on what is in store for employers as they look to sustain and grow their operations in Seattle and Bellevue. We're honored to have Rachel Smith (photo, L) president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Joe Fain (photo, R) president and CEO of the Bellevue Chamber joining us to talk about issues key to business success, and the role our region's biggest chambers of commerce can play advocating for a good business climate.
We'll also be joined by Caitlin Gallagher, Executive Director of the Eastside Business Alliance, and Michael McIntyre, Engagement Director at the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce to talk about 2021 Elections and the races important to the future of business in our region. These include Bellevue City Council, King County Council, Seattle City Council, and Seattle Mayor.

We're pleased to be highlighting the following AGC member DBE firms at the October breakfast; FOY Group, Ahora Construction, and Art Anderson.
Register today…

AGC Contractor Exchange, Oct. 20th

If you're a specialty contractor, certified DBE or SBE, this is the event for you! The AGC Contractor Exchange, one of our most popular annual events, is being held in-person on Oct. 20. At this free event, specialty contractors meet with GCs in 8-minute interviews to discuss capabilities, qualifications and upcoming project opportunities.

Participating GCs include Absher Construction, Aldrich & Associates, Bayley Construction, Centennial Contractors, Contrack Watts, Cornerstone General Contractors, Graham Contracting, Granite Construction, Guy F. Atkinson Construction, Hensel Phelps, James W. Fowler Company, Kiewit Infrastructure West, Korsmo Construction, Kraemer North America, Lease Crutcher Lewis, Lincoln Construction, Max J. Kuney Company, MidMountain Contractors, PCL Construction Services, Sellen Construction, SKANSKA USA, Stacy & Witbeck General Contractors, The Walsh Group, Turner Construction Company and Venture General Contracting.

If you're interested in attending, please visit the Contractor Exchange event page for registration details.

Culture of CARE Fall Forum, Oct. 28
Back to basics: resources and conversation to advance diversity & inclusion
This fall, our Culture of CARE Forum will get back to basics by answering the biggest questions: Why does AGC of Washington and AGC of America provide support for members who are striving to improve workforce diversity and inclusion culture in their firms? Why are there increasing numbers of construction firms making diversity & inclusion initiatives a part of their strategic-growth models? And beyond the why, we'll dive into what we offer in terms of supportive resources to help firms with their D & I journey, and how you can stay up-to-date with industry best practices as you grow your business.
No matter how long you’ve been involved with Culture of CARE, we encourage you to join us on Thursday, October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. This meeting will be held online via the Microsoft Teams platform. Register today…

Mayor Durkan imposes vaccine requirements
for city contractors
AGC members who provide public works/construction services to the City of Seattle are now required to have fully vaccinated workforces effective Dec. 5, 2021. Contractors will comply with the order by submitting attestation forms declaring vaccination for everyone subject to the vaccination requirement. The City is still developing the attestation form and other compliance materials for contractors.
If you currently have a contract with the City, please read Executive Order 2021-08, and check the COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements for City Contractors and Volunteers page frequently for updates.

Seattle voters unhappy; will they
vote for change this November?
A new poll by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce indicates significant discontent amongst Seattle voters about the quality of life and public safety. You can dig into all the data on the new webpage The Index. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 68% of respondents think Seattle is on the wrong track, with Homelessness & Crime/Public Safety as the top issues on voters’ minds. Forty-two percent of respondents believe the quality of life in Seattle is now “much worse” than it was four years ago, but how much will this voter sentiment effect key elections this November? Only time will tell, but the results seem to suggest harder times for incumbents and some positive momentum for AGC BUILD PAC endorsed candidates challenging the status quo: Bruce Harrel for Seattle Mayor, Sara Nelson for City Council, and Ann Davison for Seattle City Attorney.
To get further involved in supporting any of these important races, please contact Sonja Forster at sforster@agcwa.com.

L&I proposes increase for state-fund
employers' COVID-claim relief
The Department of Labor & Industries has announced an overall 3.1% average rate increase for 2022, being driven by cost-of-living adjustments for pensions and an increase in the state’s average wage. See their press release here.
Unlike many states, Washington’s workers’-compensation rates are calculated on worker hours — not wages — so there is no "built-in" rate increase for insurance as wages increase. While the proposed rate increase for 2022 is 3.1%, many construction risk-class rates decreased. Click here for rates by risk class.
"The efforts of construction companies and their employees to prevent injuries — and in light-duty accommodation to keep people connected to their employers — help to reduce system costs in many of our risk classes," said Lauren Gubbe, director of the AGC Workers’-Compensation plan and L&I Retro Advisory Committee member. Read more...

WA Cares Fund (a.k.a. long-term care)
exemption applications now available
Washington State workers who hold existing long-term care insurance or purchase a new private policy before November 1, 2021, can apply for an exemption from the state's WA Cares program starting October 1, 2021. Workers have until December 31, 2022 to file for an exemption, but the state will start collecting premiums on January 1, 2022.
If your exemption is approved after January 1, 2022 and you have already paid into the fund, you will not receive a refund once your exemption is approved. Currently, once an exemption is approved, those individuals will be permanently excluded from WA Cares benefits, and they won’t be required to pay premiums. Read more...

Shortages have created a "traffic jam"
in construction: Lennar
(Construction Dive) Although lumber and other material costs remain high, it’s shortages of labor and other key items that are delaying production for builders and biting into sales.
"While some building materials, like lumber, have seen easing prices, delivery delays and a lack of skilled labor and building lots continue to hold the market back," said Robert Dietz, chief economist for the National Association of Homebuilders, in this statement .
Lennar is building homes slower than expected, and builders across the nation are facing disruptions that "are affecting different trades at different times and in different geographies," according to Jaffe. Read more…

Nominations open for AGC/WSDOT
partnering-excellence awards

Contractors for WSDOT projects are encouraged to nominate projects for the Partnership for Excellence in Contract Administration Awards, sponsored by AGC and WSDOT. Presented annually at the AGC-WSDOT Annual Meeting in January, these awards recognize and encourage extraordinary achievements by the contractor/WSDOT partnership responsible for delivering transportation projects in a timely, professional and responsive manner while also considering the needs of others affected by the project.
Each one of WSDOT’s projects brings a unique set of challenges, requiring the contractor and WSDOT to work together to solve problems and identify potential issues before they happen. We want to recognize exceptional collaborative efforts made to deliver projects on time, while understanding the needs of the traveling public. There are various awards categories based on project size and geographic location.
A valid application package must include a completed nomination form with required photos must be received by WSDOT on or before October 18, 2021. Please share this information with others in your company that would be interested. Read more...

2022 AGC Member Directory ad spaces still available

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Your directory presence conveys a positive, professional image of your firm and demonstrates to potential customers that you want to compete for their business. For more information, contact Lisa Elliott at Performance Publishing -- 877.764.9004, or by email. Learn more here.