UPDATED COVID INFORMATION:
(Updated government COVID information below, October 2021)
Infrastructure Op Ed
Tom Bracken and Greg Lalevee (Operating Engineers) penned an Op Ed on the federal infrastructure bill. To read it, click here.
Child Care Funds
This week, the Governor and NJ Dept. of Human Services announced a $700 million initiative to help parents pay for child care, provide bonus pay to child care workers, and distribute grants and increase support for child care providers. For more information, click here.
Status: Emergency Temporary Standard for Employer Vaccine Requirement
Last month, President Biden announced an executive order mandating employers with 100 or more employees to require workers to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly. On Tuesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) submitted its proposed Emergency Temporary Standard on this topic to the White House. We are still awaiting the details, but wanted to give you all a heads up that it could be issued as early as this week.
The US Senate passed the infrastructure bill this weekend. Click here for a detailed summary of the infrastructure legislation., courtesy of the US Chamber.
We will be drafting a letter to the NJ congressional delegation, asking them to support the legislation in the US House of Representatives. Look for a request to sign-on later this week.
Tom had mentioned that that there will be some funds available through the US Dept. of Commerce. For more information, please click here.
The portal to apply for PPP loan forgiveness is now open. The US SBA launched a streamlined application portal to allow borrowers with PPP loans $150,000 or less through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. For more information, click here.
Applications for the NJ EDA New Jersey Community Stage Relief Grant Program will open at 9:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. Venues, businesses, and sole proprietors that host, organize, promote, produce, or manage live events or performances can receive grants up to $300,000 through the program. For more information about the program and to view a sample application, click here.
