Recording of January 11 town hall now available
By Evan Milberg, Reprinted with Permission of Smartbrief
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled a meeting for the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. The Advisory Committee was established by the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, also known as the Construction Safety Act, to advise on CSA-related policy matters and construction standards.
On January 25th, 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced $4.9 billion for 37 projects through the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant programs.
The Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) reports that the first year of new collective bargaining settlements reached in 2023 for union craft workers in the construction industry had an average wage-and-benefits increase of 4.7 percent or $2.98. The CLRC notes the surge in inflation in 2021 and 2022 have led to sharp increases but highlight that there is a lag effect on union craft increase because of the vast majority of negotiated union contracts are multiyear and many have yet to fully realize the recent surges in inflation. The CLRC projects first-year increases to level off in 2024/2025.
The Roger Williams University is working on two research studies designed to gather information about the current cognizance of vocational education among professionals and students and the other is designed to gather information about the current perceptions of project managers and superintendents based on industry professionals.
The union membership rate--the percent of all workers who were members of unions—for the construction industry was 10.7 percent in 2023, a full percentage point lower than last year when it was 11.7 percent according to an annual report released January 23, 2024, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Union representation in the industry also declined, from 12.4 to 11.4 in 2023. Still, union membership in construction remains considerably higher than the 6.0 percent rate across industries in the private sector. Union membership in the U.S., both in general and in the construction industry, fell to the lowest rates on record.
Join ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥ of America for "Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Three-Part Webinar Series: Understanding, Influencing and Complying with Federal Prevailing Wage Requirements," an informative three-part webinar series taking a deep dive into recent updates to Davis-Bacon rules and compliance.
According to the latest Contractor Compensation Quarterly (CCQ) published by PAS, Inc., construction support staff wages are to rise by an average 4.4%. The prediction is based on data gathered from over 234 companies in the 20th edition of PAS’s Construction Support Staff Salary Survey. This is down from the actual increase of 5.0% for 2022. Looking forward, PAS thinks 2024 support staff increases will likely mimic 2023 activity, unless construction conditions change.