EEO Bulletin

                                                                                                  August 21, 2009 
TO:               CAWP/H2AP Members
FROM:          Jason Koss, Director of Industry Relations                               
SUBJECT:     E-Verify and I-9 Form Webinars              

     Federal contractors* and subcontractors who are awarded a new contract after September 8, 2009 that includes the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) E-Verify clause are required to begin using the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ E-Verify system.  This new rule requires federal contractors to use E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all persons hired during a contract term, and to confirm the employment eligibility of federal contractors’ current employees who perform contract services for the federal government within the United States.              

     *Note: The E-Verify requirement only applies to direct federal contracts (i.e. US Army Corps of Engineers), not federally-assisted contracts (i.e. PennDOT & Turnpike).  However, all U.S. employers are responsible for completion and retention of Form I-9 for each person they hire for employment in the United States.  Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun conducting audits of employers' I-9 forms and is expected to increase the number of audits substantially over the next several years.  As enforcement and monitoring becomes a more pressing concern for contractors, CAWP advises all of its members to become more thorough in developing procedures to ensure I-9 forms are being properly completed and retained.  As such, the Association recommends all contractors take advantage of this free opportunity to participate in the I-9 Webinar.              

     To assist in the compliance of this requirement, Constructors Association of Western Pennsylvania (CAWP) and Master Builders Association (MBA) are hosting webinars on both the E-Verify system and the I-9 Form.  These Department of Homeland Security webinars are free, one and a half hours in length, and include a question and answer session.  For more information on the DHS webinars, visit www.uscis.gov and type in ‘webinars’ in the search box (or click here) or call (888)-464-4218.  Those who are unable to view the webinar at their own location are invited to view them at the Master Builders Association of Western Pennsylvania, located at 631 Iron City Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.  If you plan to attend a webinar at the MBA, please contact CAWP at 412-343-8000.

The dates of the webinars are:
     Form I-9 Webinar – Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
     E-Verify Webinar – Monday, August 31, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.  

Additional information on the E-Verify requirements can be found at www.uscis.gov:
     For a list of FAQs on the Federal E-Verify requirement, click here.
     To obtain the DHS User Manual for Employers, click here.   

     This EEO Bulletin may be downloaded at www.cawp.org under EEO.  If you have any questions or if you are interested in receiving future EEO bulletins via email, please contact Jason at the Association office at (412) 343-8000 or email jasonk@cawp.org.