About Us

Funding Efforts Letting Information Regulatory Affairs Publications Legislative Affairs

PAC Efforts Safety Labor Relations Division Annual Technical Conference Networking

The Associated General Contractors, New York State Chapter, Inc. is the leading voice of the heavy highway construction industry, representing contractors and related companies dedicated to the ideals of skill, integrity and responsibility. Membership in the NYS AGC provides you with the opportunities to participate in the decision-making process and help solve problems created by the complexity of the current political, legal and regulatory environment.

For 80 years, NYS AGC has delivered a variety of services and programs effectively organized to truly protect the interests of our members. Governed by a Board of Directors and supported by a complement of committees and task forces, our association is able to quickly adapt to meet the challenges confronting the entire membership.

Funding Efforts

Our principle purpose is to increase funding for transportation infrastructure on the state and federal levels. Quite simply, the larger the funding pie, the more opportunities for your business to grow. In 2005, we achieved monumental success, helping to pass the “Rebuild and Renew New York Transportation Bond Act” and securing a toll increase on the NYS Thruway. The $2.9 billion Bond Act is part of a robust, five-year capital construction program by the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) that will result in annual letting levels of over $2 billion a year starting in 2008. AGC actively participated in the statewide coalition formed to pass the Bond Act. We hosted and arranged all Upstate press events, developed radio and television advertisements for several Upstate markets, and helped coordinate get-out-the-vote operations on Election Day.

Letting Information

AGC members are provided with the most current and complete information on project letting schedules from the DOT and Thruway. We supply the list of scheduled projects with item numbers and quantities, related plan holders, results on letting days and unit pricing for all projects as soon as they become public information. With our direct telephone connection to DOT, our members can relax at the Chapter office and listen to the live results of lettings. We package all of this data in easy-to-read spreadsheets, including regional break-downs, and make it available on our website: www.agcnys.org.

Regulatory Affairs

AGC staff routinely communicates with key personnel from the DOT, the Thruway Authority, the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), the Office of General Services, the Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Department of Labor. We use our contacts in these government agencies to resolve items of concern, such as late payments, lack of award, specification interpretation, and job site issues. The AGC Specifications Committee and its dozen Subcommittees deal exclusively with DOT and Thruway regulations that affect your business on a daily basis. The broader, more complex issues are negotiated through Executive Level Partnering – comprised of AGC Board Members and the top departmental heads of DOT, Thruway, and OSC. By meeting at least three times a year, the Executive Level Partnering Committee has been able to reach agreements on major issues like steel price adjustment, design-build, metric reversal, utility involvement, work zone safety, and emerging technologies.

Publications

Providing accurate and timely information to our members is the core function of AGC. Our weekly newsletter reports on the most pressing issues affecting the industry and reminds members about upcoming meetings and events. The Low Bidder, our bi-monthly publication (a copy of which is enclosed), carries a variety of articles related to recent regulations as well as introducing you to the latest products available. Each issue spotlights a firm in the industry so you get to know who these companies are and what they do. The exclusive AGC Membership Directory contains information about each member firm and sections on government and political officials and related industry associations. Also included in this directory is a detailed Buyers Guide listing contacts for a variety of products and services available from AGC members. These publications also offer fantastic advertising opportunities for your company.

Legislative Affairs

In addition to its two staff lobbyists, AGC employs two Albany-based lobbying firms that monitor over 300 construction-related bills per year. These bills address such issues as: prevailing wage and other labor law matters; bidding, State contracting and other matters covered by the State Finance Law; changes to the Transportation and Vehicle and Traffic Law; environmental issues; and non-budget funding issues. While most of our resources are utilized to stop anti-business legislation from becoming law, AGC also works pro-actively to push for changes that will benefit our industry. For example, in 2005, AGC aggressively lobbied for the passage of the “Work Zone Safety Act.” Signed into law in July, the bill increases penalties and fines for speeding in work zones, including a mandatory license suspension of 60 days for two convictions. Later that month, the Governor signed another AGC supported bill into law, one that provides for the release of retainage on all contracts with the DOT.

PAC Efforts

Political contributions to elected officials and candidates are a vital component of our Highway Funding Task Force long-term strategy. We also utilize our PAC to complement our legislative efforts on matters unrelated to funding. Last year, the AGC PAC hosted three enormously successful events – a golf tournament for Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Tom Libous and luncheons for Assembly Corporations Committee Chairman Richard Brodsky and leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer. Plus, by belonging to the two largest national highway organizations, Associated General Contractors of America and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, we have the ability to use their PAC for contributions to the members of our congressional delegation.

Safety

AGC continuously works to provide its members with the latest information on emerging technologies, changing specifications, and preventative measures they can implement to better protect their workforce. Through bi-monthly Safety Committee meetings, safety workshops and training sessions conducted during the Technical Conference, on-site safety training and more, AGC works cooperatively with several government agencies to enhance workplace safety. Last year, the AGC signed an Alliance with the Albany, Buffalo and Syracuse area offices of OSHA to provide better communication and guidance to our members’ employees about maintaining a safe workplace environment. As part of our on-going efforts to reduce accidents in our highway work zones, each spring AGC joins with DOT, the New York State Laborers’ LECET and the New York State Police to alert the traveling public through statewide press conferences and radio ads to slow down and use caution in construction areas.

Labor Relations Division

Members of the Labor Relations Division (LRD) negotiate construction labor agreements with the carpenters, operating engineers, laborers and teamsters. AGC represents LRD members in settling disputes arising out of the collective bargaining agreements, including assistance in the preparation and presentation of the member’s case if a dispute leads to a formal grievance or arbitration proceeding. Last year, AGC successfully negotiated agreements with the Operating Engineers in Buffalo and the Laborers in Syracuse. AGC also provides its members with the latest information on the interpretation of labor agreements, contract changes, wage rate schedules, negotiation status reports, and other labor-related issues affecting their operations.

Annual Technical Conference

This December will mark the 20th anniversary of the AGC / DOT Technical Conference. Several State agencies are regular participants of this event, including the DOT, the Thruway Authority, the Department of Labor, the OSC, as well as other state trade associations. Held in Saratoga Springs for the past eight years, 2005 brought a record turnout. Over one thousand people attended the three-day event focusing on the technical and safety aspects of highway construction and over fifty vendors packed the Trade Show to display their products and services to industry leaders. Seminars covered topics such as: Structures, Technical Services, Contract Administration, Environmental Conservation, Safety, Orders-on-Contracts, and a variety of training opportunities. Plus, several of these courses qualify for PDH.

Networking

AGC provides ample opportunities for our members to interact with potential customers, market their products and services, and exchange information and ideas with their industry partners. We conduct ten regional meetings in the spring and fall. These dinner events are widely attended by DOT personnel and often include a business session before the meal. Our Annual Meeting to elect our new Board of Directors is held in late January every year at a beautiful location in the Caribbean. This event, which routinely attracts over 200 people, will be held next year at the Westin Resort in St. John, US Virgin Islands. AGC also holds an annual scholarship golf outing the last week of June that raises over $50,000 for college students studying to enter the highway construction industry.