August 2021
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Spotlight: Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts A Message From ASM’s Mike McDonagh
Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts’ (ASM) first large in-person event in almost a year and a half, our 25th Annual Subcontractors Golf Tournament, was held on Associated 29. This year, nearly of July Massachusetts, Inc. 300 golfers and came together at the Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, one of the finest courses in the state. We were thrilled that we got to see everyone again for a day filled with golf, prizes, food, and Protect, Connect, Educate networking. A key part of the day was the ding a better future for specialty contractors since 1950 announcement of our annual scholarship ww.associatedsubs.com • 617.742.3412 • mail@associatedsubs.com winners, a program that is open to members and their families to help cover the cost of college or technical school. The challenge is always selecting a limited number of recipients from a pool of so many well-qualified students. On the subject of holding in-person events again, we remain hopeful that we can host our Biennial Gala and Election Ceremony at the Granite Links Golf Course in Quincy on October 13. This will be another chance for members and industry partners to reconnect and
Mike McDonagh
get together to celebrate the industry where we will honor and recognize our members’ service and commitment to the association. It will also give us an opportunity to reflect on this challenging past 18 months. We will also welcome ASM’s new president and board of directors. Mark your calendar – we are always looking to expand our participation and sponsorship of this signature event. One thing that did not slow down during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic was
the state Legislature and ASM has been busy providing testimony on a number of key issues. In June, the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development held a hearing on several bills addressing wage theft in construction and other industries. These bills would provide new tools for the Attorney General’s office and impose new penalties on companies committing wage theft. ASM was there to offer comments at the hearing and also joined with a coalition to submit written testimony. As we stated at the hearing, we believe that companies who commit wage theft have no place in our industry or in any industry. We support strong enforcement of our laws to punish those employers who are cheating their workers on wages, but we noted our concerns with the joint and several liability provisions in the proposed bills. We are happy that conversations about wage theft are ongoing and various stakeholders are working together to find consensus on how to address the issue and work to eliminate wage theft in Massachusetts. Another bill, dealing with timely payment on public construction, was heard at a public hearing in July and ASM provided testimony in support. The bill is intended to help contractors, many of whom are small businesses, receive timely payment for extra work performed on a construction project. This extra work, often called “change order” work, can take many forms but is normally additional work that was not partSubcontractors of the original plans and Associated specifications or the contract at the of Massachusetts, Inc. outset of the project. Change orders are
common in construction and are used when these unforeseen circumstances arise on the jobsite. Contractors perform this additional work because it is needed as part of the job, however, receiving payment for that additional work can be a problem. Currently the law does not set a timeframe for when a public agency must accept or reject charges for work outside the original contract. This bill addresses the problem that many small businesses face when working with public awarding authorities by including reasonable time frames in the law, something that already exists in the law for private construction.
One of nearly 300 golfers enjoyed ASM’s 25th Annnual Golf Tournament on July 29
UPCOMING EVENTS ASM’s annual scholarship winners (l-r): Meredith Madden, Rebecca Modderno, Colby Rougeau
ASM is the state’s leading association for specialty contractors. Since 1950 we have represented companies of all trades, large and small, union and open shop, who work on major building projects across the commonwealth, in both the public and private sector.
September 2021 Protect, Connect, Educate
ASM Safety Roundtable Executive Roundtable
Building a better future for specialty contractors since 1950 www.associatedsubs.com • 617.742.3412 • mail@associatedsubs.com
October 2021
photo by Scott Blake
Biennial Dinner Gala and Elections Legal Roundup – Construction Law
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