News for Subcontractor Issues

WSDOT has concluded the drafting of rules establishing mandatory subcontracting goals for small businesses and veterans.

AGC of Washington's standard subcontract form is one of the most widely used subcontract forms in Washington. As the form was last updated ten years ago in 2009, the AGC of Washington Legal Affairs Committee decided to update the form and make appropriate revisions based on feedback from members and recent developments in the law.

Substitute House Bill 1395 was added to the floor calendar on March 5 and will likely be heard very soon.

AGC of Washington (AGCW) has filed an unfair labor-practice charge against 17 building and construction unions with the Region 19 National Labor Relations Board in Seattle, Washington.

WSDOT is proposing a 19 percent overall DBE participation goal on Federal Highway Administration-funded projects for federal fiscal years 2018 through 2020. WSDOT will submit the proposal to FHWA early next year following a public comment period.

Based on the results of its recently completed disparity study, WSDOT has asked the Federal Highway Administration to rescind the waiver WSDOT received in 2016 to exclude white woman-owned firms from the race and gender-conscious component of the DBE program.

At the request of AGC, key legislators are pursuing faster release of retainage on public works projects. House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee Chair Mike Sells and Ranking Minority Member Matt Manweller as well as Senate Commerce, Labor & Sports Committee Chair Michael Baumgartner are pressing the Department of Labor and Industries to dramatically speed-up the time it takes to release retainage.

Beginning June 1, 2017 women-owned businesses no longer satisfy Condition of Award (COA) goals on federally-funded (specifically Federal Highway Administration funded) projects, WSDOT has announced.

Effective July 23, 2017, general contractors will be required to bond for a subcontractor’s portion of retainage, upon request of the subcontractor.

Governor Jay Inslee is implementing mandatory subcontracting goals on WSDOT projects. Specifically, as of January 31, WSDOT will implement a combination of mandatory (18.7%) and aspirational (26%) contract goals for WSDOT construction and design contracts.

The DOL now says carpenters, construction workers and electricians may be misclassified as independent contractors, and that most workers are employees.

Click here to tell legislators to vote NO on this bill!AGC is opposing legislation that could add a dozen or more specialty subs to the list of those that must be included as part of the bid for public-works construction projects costing more than $1 million. Photo: Jeremy Carroll of Dawson Con...