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Houston’s leadership on workforce can be a model for the nation

Business leaders in Houston seem well-positioned to set the tone for how the rest of the nation addresses workforce challenges, experts agree. During a town hall-style event hosted by the Greater Houston Partnership, health care leaders, construction executives and others discussed ways the private sector is taking the lead to ensure that a quality workforce […]

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Worker misclassification debate starts anew at the Texas Capitol

The issue of worker misclassification promises to loom large once again during the next session of the Texas Legislature – and not just as it relates to the construction industry. Misclassification happens when businesses pretend their labor is being done on a subcontracting basis when by law the people doing the work should be compensated as […]

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Cheating by Unethical Employers Reaches Crisis Levels While Texas Lawmakers Sit on Their Hands

Over the years, the Construction Citizen team has put a bright spotlight on the myriad problems caused by worker misclassification. Those difficulties continue to mount while Texas lawmakers do very little about it, much to the frustration of ethical companies that cannot compete with cheaters, many single mothers who are denied child support payments, conservative […]

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Texas Education Reforms are Key in Promoting the Middle Skills

Sweeping education reforms passed by the Texas Legislature in 2013 will be a great help to business leaders in Houston as they embark on an unprecedented push to promote “middle skills” jobs. Those are well-paying jobs that, as the Construction Citizen team has been telling you, require more than a high school diploma but less […]

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Job-Luring Funds Go Under the Microscope at the Texas Capitol

Note: This story originally appeared in The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of Texas politics and government.  The special Texas House committee appointed by Speaker Joe Straus to scrutinize Gov. Perry’s job-luring pots of money – chiefly the Texas Enterprise Fund – got down to work last Wednesday. In its first hearing, […]

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The Austin School District Should Follow Houston ISD’s Progress on Construction Jobs

The Austin School Board recently voted to adopt Davis-Bacon federal wage rates on construction of facilities under the district’s new $490 million bond package. While some have hailed this as a historic step, it is seen by many as merely a short-term fix for attracting workers into the skilled trades. In short: more needs to […]

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Texas Business Leaders Are In a Full-Court Press on Immigration

Note: This column originally appeared in The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of Texas politics and government.  Hoping to lose none of any ground – either real or perceived – they may have gained on immigration in the United States House of Representatives, Texas business interests over the last couple weeks have […]

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Many Law-Abiding Companies Can’t Compete in Dallas/Fort Worth, Executive Says

In a marathon hearing held by Texas lawmakers on the issues of workers’ comp and worker misclassification, representatives from businesses and labor came together to talk about what could be done to level the playing field for ethical companies and improve the lives of middle class Texans. But, there was also significant pushback from certain […]

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Some in Business Join With Labor to Call for Mandatory Workers’ Comp in Texas

Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there daily for coverage of Texas politics and government.  The Texas House Business and Industry Committee on Tuesday got down to work this week on an extensive review of whether workers’ comp insurance should continue to be voluntary. Texas, as you may know, is […]

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Battle looming over whether workers’ comp should stay optional in Texas

Note: This story originally appeared on The Quorum Report. Join us there for daily coverage of Texas politics and government.  On Tuesday, lawmakers in the only state in America where workers’ comp insurance is optional are starting to take a hard look at whether that should still be the case. Texas House Speaker Joe Straus […]

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