View Online

AGC's Project Labor Agreement Seminar - June 26

By Eddie Sprecco, CEO

The City of San Diego Project Labor Agreement (PLA) starts July 1, so get ready by attending our PLA Seminar on Wednesday, June 26, at 8:00 a.m. at our headquarters in Lakeside.

REGISTER TODAY! (closes noon tomorrow, June 25)

PLAs are impacting more jobs at the local, state, and now, national level. Whether your company is union or non-union, PLAs cause disruptions to your normal operations both in the field and in the office.

This seminar will outline the structure of PLAs and highlight common pitfalls that create risk for your project at bid time, during construction, and after completion of work. A better understanding of PLAs will help contractors assess whether or not to take on a project and to price in the risk along with additional hard costs when bidding on PLA projects.

As the Labor Relations lead for AGC San Diego, I will present, alongside Jim Ryan, our Chapter’s Labor Relations Consultant and past CEO of AGC San Diego. Jim has over 40 years of experience negotiating and administering union agreements on behalf of AGC contractors.

This seminar is only open to AGC member companies. Anyone dealing with PLAs – estimators, project managers, payroll specialists, etc. is encouraged to attend.

Attendance is capped, so register today.

AGC Members will need to log in to our Member Portal to register for this seminar. Read FAQs for more information on how to log in using your business email or how to request a login.

Future Construction Leaders

By Dustin Steiner, Vice President Government & Industry Relations

Last week, 100 high school-age girls descended upon the AGC Training Center in Lakeside for a week-long camp to learn the tools of the trades. Formerly called Camp National Association of Women In Construction (NAWIC), the newly minted Future Construction Leaders (FCL) Camp for Girls aims to “break stereotypes…through hands-on projects…using power tools…while learning the essential elements of various construction trades” according to its website.

Now in its 16th year, the camp is FREE to girls in 8-12 grade and runs every summer. Make sure to sign up for alerts because it "sells out" in the first 24 hours every year! To learn more visit: https://www.futureconstructionleaders.org/fcl-camp

All week, the AGC offices were alive with sawing, hammering, and the buzz of enthusiasm as the girls tackled carpentry, tiling, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, surveying, and heavy equipment. The first-year campers, or apprentices, made a wooden cell phone, earring and necklace valet, built solar-powered cars, assembled and disassembled a toilet and sink, constructed a PVC marshmallow shooter (a camp favorite!), and played strategic games on heavy machinery. Meanwhile, the returning campers, or Journeywomen, went to work straight away on 10 state-of-the-art, 10-foot tall, chicken coops, which are currently for sale! The week culminated in a graduation ceremony with special gifts from the many generous sponsors for the campers.

AGC Board Member, Heather Skaife (Gafcon), shared motivational remarks at the ceremony saying “Trust me when I say, you are prepared, you are confident, you are resilient, and you have so much to offer our industry.” AGC President Gita Murthy (RORE, Inc.) visited the camp on Thursday and said “It was incredible to witness 100 high school girls working intensely on various trades! This camp is exactly what we need to expose youngsters to expand our construction workforce! Much gratitude to our volunteers, AGC, and FCL for their support, inspiration, and financial generosity!” 

As for me, my favorite part was seeing my firstborn daughter, Reagan, (pictured on left) there every day working hard and doing things she hardly knew existed the week before. The stories and giggles with her friend on our daily commute were second only to the confidence exuded from both. Reagan loved showing off her wares to her younger siblings each day and even confided in me that she had a new life plan one day on our way home from camp, “After West Point,” the first-year apprentice heading to high school in the fall confided, “I want to become a tiler.”

Godspeed kiddo!  

SB1 Still Working

By Mike McManus, Director of Engineering Construction & Industry Relations

In 2017, things changed for those contractors in the road building and repair business. The state passed SB1, which raised the excise tax on gas by 12 cents per gallon and diesel by 20 cents per gallon. It added a $100 “road improvement fee” for zero-emission vehicles and raised annual registration fees on other vehicles from $25 to $175 depending on the vehicle’s value. The $5 billion per year new tax raised for road repair was a game changer at the state highway level and for local streets and roads.

Only at this time of year do we get reminded of an important feature of SB1, which has an automatic adjustment for inflation. Because of this, the value of the gas tax keeps up with costs in construction and does not get eroded over time. This adjustment happens on July 1 each year. We generally don’t like taxes, but we do like money for infrastructure construction, and we need good roads to keep our economy healthy. This July 1, the gas and diesel excise taxes will increase a few cents per gallon.

Before the passage of SB1 in 2017, according to the California Department of Tax & Fee Administration, the state gas tax was $0.278 per gallon. After SB1 passed, the gas tax jumped to $0.417 per gallon. Last July, it had risen due to inflation to $0.579 per gallon. This year, it will increase another 1.7 cents per gallon to 59.6 cents. Of course, this does not mean that the price you pay at the pump goes up 1.7 more cents because there is a lot more to what goes into the price of gasoline than just the gas tax.

Last Friday, The American Automobile Association (AAA) posted that they expect the gas price in California to be an average of $3.46 per gallon this week. Last year at this time, the price was a painful $4.86 per gallon. Ten years ago, the price was about $3.80 per gallon in 2014. Since a dollar is worth much less now than 10 years ago, the gas price adjusted for inflation is quite less than 10 years ago.

Meanwhile, Caltrans officials have reported that, statewide, they have about $14 billion under contract for state highway construction. This is a record in dollar amount. However, adjusting for inflation, it rivals the era of county sales tax measure-funded highway projects from 15 years ago. The money right now is largely going toward maintenance and rehabilitation projects that will benefit the state for decades. SB1 is still going strong, and the construction industry is grateful for that.

For those in the road repair and road building business, the picture looks pretty good for years to come because of the inflation-resistant state gas tax and the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed a few years ago. In November, the voters in San Diego will have the opportunity to weigh in on the citizen’s initiative to raise the county sales tax to pay for transportation system improvements, which will be another game changer for the industry here in San Diego, if it passes.

AGC's Annual Blood Drive - Schedule an Appointment Today!

The 14th Annual AGC Blood Drive will run July 8-19 at multiple member locations. Your donation is crucial when the blood supply is at its critical low. Schedule your appointment now and make a difference!



Monday, July 8

Sundt - 8:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. - Mission Valley

Tuesday, July 9

Dynalectric - 6:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - El Cajon

Hensel Phelps - 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - La Jolla

Wednesday, July 10

Countywide Mechanical - 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - El Cajon

Hawthorne Cat - 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Rancho Bernardo

Hazard Construction - 8:00 a.m. -1:30 p.m. - Lakeside

PCL Construction - 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Southwestern College

Swinerton - 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Rancho Bernardo

Thursday, July 11

Balfour Beatty - 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Sabre Springs

C.W. Driver - 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Mission Valley

FILANC - 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Escondido

PRAVA Construction - 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - San Marcos

TC Construction Co. - 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Santee

Friday, July 12

AGC - 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Lakeside

PCL Construction - 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - UTC

Sherwood Mechanical - 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Sorrento Mesa

Monday. July 15

Erickson-Hall Construction – 7:30 – 1:30 p.m. - Imperial Valley

Tuesday, July 16

Erickson-Hall Construction - 7 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Escondido

Wednesday, July 17

Erickson-Hall Construction - 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Garden Grove

Thursday, July 18

Erickson-Hall Construction - 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Riverside

Friday, July 19

Erickson-Hall Construction - 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Murrieta

We know you have it in you to SAVE A LIFE!

FLYER

The AGC Board of Directors and AGC staff welcome the following new members:

AEC Moreno Corporation 

Argee Construction, Inc. dba Craftsman Construction 

AssuredPartners of CA

LP Paving and Grading, Inc. 

Martin Bros./Marcowall, Inc. 

Western Foundations & Shoring, Inc. 

Last Chance to take the Moss Adams 2024 Construction Industry Salary Survey - Ends June 28

The Moss Adams 2024 Construction Industry Salary Survey is open and will run through June 28.

The survey helps create a comprehensive industry report on compensation and benefit trends that provide contractors with comparative information—especially vital for an industry in which such data is difficult to obtain or present.

Available in Fall 2024, this report is a useful tool for contractors to measure their employee compensation against industry peers and prepare their strategies for the years ahead.

Delivering industry insights highlighted in the report isn’t possible without valuable contributions from companies such as yours; your participation helps support the collective industry.

Take Survey

2024

July 8-19, 2024 - AGC Blood Drive - AGC Member Locations

July 9 - TECH TALK - AGC Lakeside HQ

July 26, 2024 - Day at the Races - Del Mar Racetrack

August 9, 2024 - Affiliate Day Golf - Singing Hills Golf Resort - Sycuan

September 19, 2024 - Public Agency Showcase - San Diego Yacht Club

October 7, 2024 - AGC Fall Golf - Country Club of Rancho Bernardo

October 17, 2024 - CLC Car Show & Mixer - AGC HQ Lakeside

October 30, 2024 - Save the Date - TECH TALK

December 14, 2024 - Holiday Dinner Dance - Hotel Del Coronado

JUNE MEETINGS

June 27 - 4:00 p.m. - Construction Leadership Council - McCarthy's office

JULY MEETINGS

July 10 - 1:00 p.m.- County of San Diego @ County Operations Center

July 19 - 11:00 a.m. - Technology Committee - Virtual

July 23 - 11:30 a.m. - Affiliate Council - Lakeside

July 24- Joint Safety Committee Meeting with AGC of California - details TBA

July 24 - 11:00 a.m. - Airport Liaison @ Airport Design & Construction office

About Monday Morning Quarterback

AGC San Diego Chapter's Monday Morning Quarterback is a "hot off the press" and to the point Monday morning briefing on the important issues facing San Diego's construction industry. It is prepared by AGC Chief Executive Officer, Eddie Sprecco, and Vice President Government & Industry Relations, Dustin Steiner.

Please contact Eddie Sprecco or Dustin Steiner with your comments, or with information that should be conveyed to the industry through this service. Well over 3,000 individuals employed by AGC member firms are part of this system.

AGC San Diego Chapter, Inc.

The VOICE of Construction

(858) 558-7444

agcsd.org

Connect With Us