News from APCA
OSHA Interim Enforcement Guidance
Interim Enforcement Guidance for the Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction Standard
Last month OSHA shared a memorandum announcing that for the first 30 days of enforcement of the Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction Standard, employers making a good faith effort to comply with the standard were offered compliance assistance in lieu of enforcement. As the 30 days come to a close, OSHA has issued a memorandum with interim enforcement guidance while a compliance directive is under review. The memorandum provides inspection and citation guidance for Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs), and it includes flow charts to assist compliance officers with evaluating employers’ control methods.
FMI Economic & Industry Overview
APCA 2017 Mid-Year Meeting Presentation:
Economic and Industry Overview
W. Chris Daum
President and Chief Executive Officer - FMI Corporation
As the president and chief executive officer of FMI Corporation, Chris oversees the management of all FMI businesses and services and leads the firm’s strategic growth efforts.
APCA Commends Big Beautiful Bill
APCA applauds passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, saying it will "spur significant growth in America’s energy dominance" and provide tax certainty and fairness as well as important workforce development reforms.
“APCA’s leadership and member companies are excited to work with the Trump administration and industry stakeholders to build greater American energy security,” APCA President Kevin LaBauve, Vice President of WHC Energy Services of Broussard, La., said. “The important tax and workforce development policies in the One Big Beautiful Bill will help make that happen and benefit American workers and businesses.”
Read APCA's full statement here.
APCA Letter Supporting PERMIT Act
APCA sent a letter to House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure leadership on June 27 expressing support for the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure for Today (PERMIT) Act. APCA welcomes this legislation as a much-needed step toward fixing an outdated permitting process that ultimately slows the deployment of crucial energy infrastructure. APCA looks forward to continued collaboration on common-sense reforms that further America's energy dominance agenda.
Workforce Pell Grant Expansion
Signed into law on July 4, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes provisions that will expand Pell Grant eligibility to learners pursuing a short-term job training program. The new Workforce Pell Grants for short-term programs are effective July 1, 2026, and stand to benefit workers and providers in compliance with the new law. The change is also a positive development for employers seeking upskilled workers to meet industry’s workforce needs.
Click below to see an analysis of the Workforce Pell Grant expansion by the APCA government affairs team.
APCA Helps Secure Historic Tax Relief
On June 25, APCA joined more than 80 leading trade organizations in sending a letter to Senate leadership pressing for passage of the new budget reconciliation tax package. With millions of jobs and local economies at stake, the coalition called for urgent action to deliver permanent tax relief for pass-through businesses. At the heart of the request was a full extension of the Section 199A deduction, vital for supporting pass-through entities and C corporations, alongside protections for the deductibility of state and local taxes.
Thanks to the strength and unity of this business community, those provisions were signed into law as part of the Big Beautiful Bill. APCA is proud to have played a part in that success and remains deeply committed to advancing policies that support American enterprise and drive growth from the ground up.
APCA Urges Keeling Confirmation to Head OSHA
On June 3, APCA sent a letter to key Senators supporting Dave Keeling's nomination to serve as Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing on the nomination this Thursday.
Sent to committee leaders Sens. Bill Cassidy, M.D., and Bernie Sanders, the letter details Keeling's extensive career in workplace safety, starting as a UPS package handler and ultimately advancing to oversee the company’s safety operations.
"He has been on the ground and on the frontlines of workplace safety for his entire career and has a keen understanding of what works to get companies focused on protecting their employees from workplace hazards," the letter states. "APCA's leadership and member companies strongly urge Senators to vote to confirm Dave Keeling as OSHA administrator."
Given the critical role OSHA plays in safeguarding America's construction workforce, PCCA urges the Senate to confirm Dave Keeling promptly. We stand ready to collaborate with him, confident that his leadership will foster a practical and results-oriented approach to the agency.
APCA Commends Senate Rejection of Biden's NLRB Chair
The American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA) commends the U.S. Senate for rejecting the nomination of Lauren McFerran to serve another term as National Labor Relations Board Chair. The December 11 decision marks the end of her tenure on the Board, which has been problematic at best and, at worst, outright unconstitutional.
APCA Supports Bipartisan Legislation Reauthorizing PHMSA Safety Programs
The American Pipeline Contractors Association (APCA) issued the following statement on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s markup of the Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2023 (H.R. 6494), which reauthorizes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) pipeline safety programs for the next four years and provides a framework to advance the safety of energy infrastructure across the United States.
APCA Supports Repeal of DOL Davis-Bacon Rule
APCA and other construction & business associations sent a letter to Rep. Lloyd Smucker on October 27 supporting his resolution to repeal the U.S. Department of Labor final rule, Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations. The new rule and ongoing use of this flawed policy will increase the burden to contractors and taxpayers with anti-competitive red tape and inflated construction costs.
APCA Opposes OSHA Changes to Tracking Rule: Rule Benefits Unions, Not Employees
APCA strongly opposes OSHA's revisions to the Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses final rule. Under OSHA’s new rule, companies in construction and certain other designated industries will be required to electronically submit OSHA form 300 and 301 information annually if they have more than 100 employees and form 300A information if they have 20 or more employees.
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