ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥ of America’s 2024 Annual Convention is coming up March 19-22, 2024, in San Diego, CA. This not-to-be-missed event features distinguished keynote speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, eye-opening award ceremonies, and impactful education sessions. Events of particular interest to Human Resource & Labor News subscribers include:
On Jan. 12, ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥ responded to an Office of Science and Technology request for feedback on how they should develop a coordinated Federal strategy to identify and address gaps in science, data, and research related to environmental justice (EJ). Along with its coalition partners, ÃÛ½ÛÖ±²¥ emphasized core concepts that underpin many of the association’s prior recommendations to federal agencies related to data collection and use: take steps to improve data quality, flexibility, and transparency, as well as provide for meaningful outreach with industry.
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.
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.