Government Affairs

The Insulators Union is proud of our allies in the U.S. House of Representatives for including funding to complete the Mesothelioma Patient Registry Feasibility Study in their Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations bill to fund the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.

After much effort and coordination, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an infrastructure bill, which includes mechanical insulation tax incentives.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-De.) introduced legislation aimed at creating jobs and providing stimulus funding for infrastructure projects.

An update from Government Affairs Director Chip Gardiner:

Since last November when we first secured mechanical insulation tax incentives into the House Ways and Means GREEN bill discussion draft, we have been optimistic that the Mechanical Insulation tax incentives would be included as part of a larger infrastructure bill that the U.S House of Representatives would consider and approve. Our optimism was further increased when the Joint Committee on Taxation contacted us to get information that they needed to complete their economic/budgetary analysis for the Mechanical Insulation tax incentives.

On March 19, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee approved legislation to regulate the amount of asbestos used in building materials and industrial facilities.

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has shared a brief on March 19 at 11:30 am with the following information to be shared as resources within their affiliated Unions.

President Trump signed into law a Coronavirus aid, which was overwhelmingly approved by Congress.

After months of delay, the U.S. Department of Labor released the final rule on Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Programs, otherwise known as IRAPs, exempting the construction industry from this rule.

In response to the construction industry’s questions regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, the following are steps everyone should be taking now:

• If you are feeling sick, do not go to work.
• Don’t shake hands when greeting others.
• Try to stay three to six feet away from others in gatherings, meetings, and training sessions.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean your hands often by washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%–95% alcohol. Soap and water should be used if hands
are visibly dirty.
• It is especially important to clean hands after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after coughing,
sneezing or blowing your nose.

 

Construction industry employers should also:

• Plan for office staff to have the ability to work from home.
• Provide soap and running water on all jobsites for frequent handwashing.
• Provide hand sanitizer when soap and running water are impossible.
• If you work in healthcare facilities, train your workers in Infection Control RiskAssessment—for
information on this training program offered through CPWR, visit: https://www.cpwr.com/training/infection-control-risk-assessment-icra

 

Special guidance for travel:

Individuals at high risk for complications from COVID-19 should follow the current CDC’s guidance:
• Currently, older adults and persons with underlying health conditions are considered to be at increased
risk for severe illness and complications from COVID-19. People in high-risk groups should consult
with their healthcare provider about attending large events. (See: CDCguidance)
• Older adults and travelers with underlying health conditions should avoid situations that put them at
increased risk for more severe disease. This entails avoiding crowded places and avoiding nonessential travel such as long plane trips. (See: CDC guidance for travel)

 

Additional links from our Federal Government Partners:

From OSHA: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/
From NIOSH: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/2019_ncov.html
From CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
From CDC for Employers about getting their businesses ready: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/guidance-business-response.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE