In a decision issued on Dec. 16, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board reinstated its prior standard providing off-duty workers employed by contractors more expansive rights to access publicly accessible areas of the workplace for the purpose of engaging in union organizing activity.
New guidance instructs federal agencies to develop implementation rules that would quantify greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and incorporate the social cost of carbon in cost/benefit analysis that could impact permits for construction projects.
On January 12, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sided with 鶹Ƶin tentatively denying an environmental group’s effort to force contractors to dispose of discarded PVC as a hazardous waste.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that the $15-an-hour minimum wage for federal contractors under Executive Order (EO) 14026 will increase to $16.20 for 2023 because of inflation. 鶹Ƶfiled comments on the DOL’s original proposed rule implementing the EO.
On Dec. 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a final rule to newly define “waters of the United States” (WOTUS). 鶹Ƶhas been working to bring clarity to the question of when a costly and time-consuming federal water permit is required on projects (vs. a state permit). The agencies released the rule as the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding on a case that will have bearing on the definition of WOTUS. Furthermore, the agencies also have previously stated that they plan a second round of changes in a Phase Two rulemaking.