Search

The article discusses how the rehabilitation process in Hurricane Katrina-affected areas can help the construction unions. As building trade unions rush humanitarian supplies and millions of dollars in relief funds to members and families left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, they also are thinking about rebuilding communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama devastated by the storm. The construction unions also see the rebuilding as a marketing and organizing opportunity in a region where organized labor historically does not have a strong presence. INSET: Employment Hits Record High.

This article focuses on relief measures undertaken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. Damage estimates immediately after the August 28 storm mirrored that of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, about $25 billion. But with the subsequent breaching of New Orleans' levees and a clearer picture of other severe coastal damage, some were already speaking of damages exceeding $100 billions. While the nation's eye was focused on the 17th Street Canal breach, Richard P. Wagenaar, chief engineer of the New Orleans District of the Army Corps of Engineers, managed remedial efforts with about 10 other Corps staffers. The New Orleans District is officially classed as a "victim district" by the Corps. Its duties have been heavily supported by sister districts, mostly working remotely, to enable local staff to put their operation and personal lives back together. Although many locals saw the Corps as the symbol of all of New Orleans' problems, its officials were fast hiring local contractors to fix the failing infrastructure.

The article focuses on director and COO of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations at the U.S. State Department, Charles E. Williams. Williams was hand-picked for the job in December 2000 by then Secretary of State designate Colin Powell as the newly elected President George W. Bush administration prepared to enter the White House. He recalls that Powell charged him with what Williams calls an "awesome task," to turn around the existing, slow-moving program and rapidly increase security. Upgrading embassy security around the world became a top State Department priority after the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. INSETS: Embassy Interiors Reflect Countries.;Southern Upbringing, Military Training Influence Williams'....

The article focuses on the efforts of union leader Joe Malony to establish a program to assist veterans in finding meaningful construction careers in the U.S. Helmets to Hardhats, or H2H as the recruitment program is known, allows both prospective workers and employers to register online. It was founded in 2003 by the 15 construction labor unions. Joe Maloney is the unlikely champion of Helmets to Hardhats. H2H could not have blossomed at a better time. National unemployment figures average just over 5%, but the unemployment rate for veterans is closer to 15%. With thousands of service members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq without jobs or careers, H2H is helping to fill that void. In just over two years, more than 17,000 veterans have been matched with apprentice opportunities.

This article reports that substance abuse continues to plague the construction industry, threatening lives and safety, increasing workers' compensation insurance premiums and reducing worker productivity. The ironworkers' and electrical workers' international unions each are finalizing new national programs to create drug and alcohol free work places. Beginning in January, ironworker local unions and contractor members of the Ironworker-Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) will have the option to include a substance abuse testing program into new collective bargaining agreements. Results will be kept in a database administered by a third party that is accessible to contractors each time they request workers from the union's hiring hall. The management chairwoman of IMPACT's substance abuse task force says employees must understand that drug testing is a program to save families. INSET: Recovery Fuels Demand For Workers.

More than a year after U.S. President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq, a new interim Iraqi government is in place. The year has been one of progress, disruption — and now uncertainty. As interim leaders led by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi prepare for national elections next year, U.S. reconstruction contractors are wondering what comes next. Work to rebuild the country's infrastructure will extend beyond 2005 and will cost more than the $18.4 billion that the U.S. Congress appropriated in 2003. Engineers and construction firms say they are committee to completing the approximately $12 billion in reconstruction contracts already awarded. But the task is far from complete. The U.S. failed to deliver its targeted production of 6,000 MW of electricity generation by June 1. That was later revised to July 1, but is still not met. The unexpected increasing violence has upended construction schedules and sent security budgets skyrocketing. INSET: Reconstruction Misses the Mark.

After more than six years in the Army following his West Point graduation, Bill Gaul(Bill Gaul) never dreamed he would have to worry about finding a job. Aware that other veterans were also having difficulty finding challenging jobs, Gaul founded The Destiny Group, a San Diego-based firm that uses online technology to match men and women leaving the service with civilian employment. With shortages of skilled construction craftworkers expected to surge over the next 10 years, construction employers naturally are angling to employ some of the men and women exiting the military. H2H is a nonprofit, Web-based recruitment program administered by the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Veterans Employment.

The article highlights efforts of General President Joseph J. Hunt, head of the ironworkers' union for improving the state of his union. Hunt occasionally is mistaken for the former president and will sometimes play along with his staff when they have a little fun with the autograph seekers. But Hunt has a bigger mission, revitalizing a union that has been rocked by scandal and seen its market share slide along with almost every other building trade union. To achieve these goals Hunt has launched the Ironworker-Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT), a labor-management joint trust which Hunt calls critical to the future of our union and our industry. Hunt is a leader willing to take chances to improve the state of his union.

Focuses on the impact of September 11 terrorist attack on the immigration industry in the United States. Restrictions of immigration practices; Benefits gained by nonunion contractors from Latino immigrants; Decline of foreign student applicants.

Focuses on the achievements of the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in light of the agency's celebration of its 30th anniversary in 2001. Statistics on workers' safety since the inception of the OSHA; Standards; Regulation enforcement; Relationship with the construction industry. INSET: Where fatalities run high, OSHA sees..., by David Kohn..

Presents the Record Top 200 Environmental Firms for the year 2000 in the United States. Growth on revenue in the sector; Expansion of services to better control and enhance corporations; Lists of the firms; Development of the marginal water supply.

Reports on the steps taken by contractors to renovate the Pentagon, the building housing the United States Defense Department. Walker Lee Evey's appointment as procurement official; Failure of the building to meet building codes and telecommunication infrastructure requirements; Materials used in the renovation.

Reports on news briefs about regulatory aspects of the construction industry in the United States as of November 17, 1997. Includes the approval of a deal between President Bill Clinton and Senate Republican leaders giving the US National Labor Relations Board its full complement of five members; US Congress' approval of authority for the General Services Administration to lease space for its headquarters.

Assesses the performance of the building trades industry unions in the United States. Decline in union membership; Rediscovery of core of craft unions; Marketing know-how; Training of union members.

Provides information on the economic condition of environmental businesses and firms in United States. Details on several firms and companies; Acquisition agreements in the industry; Employment condition on environmental firms.

Focuses on the troubles associated with buildings as the construction industry prepares for the Year 2000. Names and locations of buildings that are being constructed for the Year 2000; Problems associated with staffing in the industry; Concern over codes; Environmental aspects relating to building; Information on federal contracts.

Construction supporters of U.S. President George W. Bush or his Democratic challenger, Senator John E Kerry, both believe the November 2 election is the most important in their lifetime. The skyrocketing cost of health care, loss of jobs across numerous sectors and such trade issues as outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries are the key rallying points for labor's battle to send Kerry to the White House. Organized labor's all-out strategy is being directed by the AFL-CIO, in its most aggressive get-out-the-vote effort, including grassroots programs to increase voter registration among craft workers and their families by at least 10%.

Despite the rising tide of insurgent violence in Iraq in October 2003, United States administration claims and field reports show solid progress is being made in reconstruction. Both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House are fine-tuning legislation to authorize about $18 billion for Iraq reconstruction as part of a fiscal 2004 emergency supplemental bill. The final bill also will determine the amount of the second-phase construction contract now out for bid by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

This article presents information on attempts of U.S. President George W. Bush to enhance rebuilding in Iraq. If the U.S. Congress goes along with President Bush's proposal, the scope-and the cost of rebuilding post-war Iraq will take a quantum leap. The federal funds would cover only part of a rebuilding that officials estimate will cost $50 billion to $75 billion. U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, issued a draft request for proposals on September 15, 2003, for a second capital construction contract to follow the $680-million contract awarded to Bechtel National Inc. in April. But agency spokesperson Ellen Yount says most of the $350 million will go for electricity restoration and sanitation. INSET: Bechtel's $680-Million Contract Is Now Tapped Out.

Rebuilding Iraq after the U.S. war on Iraq in the year 2003, is proving to be no easy task. As civilian and military forces race to rekindle emergency services, engineers are performing the daunting task of assessing damage and destruction while it is still going on from widespread looting. At the same time, the military is fine-tuning its management of the overall project. Adding to the workload is the outdated infrastructure, according to Robert B. Flowers, chief of engineers who just returned from a week-long visit to Iraq.

Discusses the expectation of U.S. powerplants from the pollution-control retrofit market. Prediction of U.S. flue-gas desulfurization market; Efforts of powerplants for emission control; Role played by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for pollution control; Response of various environmental groups to the pollution; Contribution of industrial plants in comparison to powerplants. INSET: Retrofit Programs Challenge Ingenuity.

Focuses on the requirement of a different set of management skills from managers in the construction industry. Importance of the technical skills of construction managers in the industry; Traits required of a good manager in this industry; Negative character traits that should be avoided by managers.

Focuses on the success of the construction team in rebuilding the damaged Pentagon building caused by the September 11 terrorist attacks in Arlington Virginia. Motivation of the team; Factors involved in the rebuilding of Pentagon; Evidence of emotional tie among the team members.

Focuses on the success of the carpenters union in Washington. Formation of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America; Selection of Douglas J. McCarron to the president position; Creation of real estate business.

Focuses on the wages of construction workers in the United States. Effect of the tightness of the labor market; Upturn in wage escalation; Impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement on wages at the hourly level; Categories of workers that posted wage increases.

Profiles Darrin Raines, Lester Parnell and James Farris, United States masons. Training of Raines from a local union; Reminiscences of his first tilesetting job; Discipline imparted by bricklaying to Parnell; Background of Farris in stone masonry; Knowledge of the craft through actual job experience.

Focuses on the move of construction union organizers to sign up open shop craftworkers in order to organize a contractor. How the union places open shop workers; Terms of the four-year collective bargaining agreement of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers; Purpose of the union for organizing the Superior Air Conditioning Inc. INSET: Unemployment Slumps.

Contends that the lack of skilled workers could stunt the growth of the construction industry in 1998. Description of the lack of skilled labor; Expected pay hike; Friction between the open shop and union sectors in the industry; Plans for training; Mergers and acquisitions in the industry.

Examines relations between management and labor in the construction industry in the United States. Consideration of craft manpower availability and training as the top issues for managers; Opening of joint training centers; Consolidation among unions in the building trades; Accessibility of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to the industry.

This article reports that the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is calling up its civilian troops to assess and repair Hurricane Katrina's mess and help its thousands of victims. To shore up his image in the affected area and across the U.S., President George W. Bush replaced embattled FEMA Director Michael D. Brown, under fire as inexperienced, with R. David Paulison, a 30-year veteran of fire and emergency services. The management shift hardly interrupted the parade of activated task orders or new contracts let by FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers for critical work, even as some critics questioned their contracting approach. Hurricane victims are set to be housed in mobile home and trailer communities of 5,000 to 25,000 people for three to five years as cities and towns are rebuilt.

The article reports that health insurance remains one of the most important benefits for union construction workers, but as costs continue to spiral, more collective bargaining agreements must tilt money to health and welfare benefit funds than to workers' take-home pay. For nearly 15,000 workers in the 12 Southern California locals that make up the plumbers' union's District Council 16, increases under the current five-year pact that would have gone to wages were shifted to health and welfare and pension funds, leaving paychecks stagnant.

The article reports that for the second time in five years, Edward C. Sullivan and Joseph Maloney have been elected president and secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations' (AFL-CIO's) Building and Construction Trades Department (BCTD). Five years later, as BCTD marks its 67th convention in Boston, the department again faces challenges with the loss of two of its 15 member unions. Since the teamsters' union withdrew from the AFL-CIO last month and the carpenters' union confirmed that it would not reaffiliate, there are two fewer unions in the BCTD.

The article reports that with less than two weeks between the end of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) convention and the start of the Building and Construction Trades Dept. (BCTD) conclave, BCTD leaders are meeting to reshape resolutions that will be considered following the departure of the teamsters and carpenters. The teamsters, along with the service employees union, withdrew from the AFL-CIO on July 25, the first day of the labor federation's 50th constitutional convention in Chicago. The departure of two of the federation's largest unions and a convention boycott by two other unions that represent food and commercial workers and hotel and textile employees overshadowed the first two days of the meetings.

This article presents information related to nonunion training by the trade unions. The AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Dept. has thrown down the gauntlet, putting the nonunion Associated Builders and Contractors on notice that its apprentice programs are under attack, including possible legal action, for what the labor unions assert are "flawed and failing programs." The unions are calling for an immediate investigation into poor performing programs and a requirement that they maintain a certain graduation rate by craft. The view was held that it was likely that building trade councils or other state-level union groups would pursue legal action to block ABC's apprentice programs.

This article presents information regarding U.S. President George W. Bush's $2.57-trillion budget plan for fiscal year 2006 that asks for severe cuts in many infrastructure accounts. Budget panel Democrats blasted the Bush blueprint. David Bauer, American Road & Transportation Builders Association vice president for government relations, calls the White House proposal a positive step, but notes that there weren't sufficient votes last year to pass a $284-billion bill. The roughest fight may be over Environmental Protection Agency water infrastructure, where Bush wants to slash aid to Clean Water state revolving funds by 34%, to $730 million.

The article focuses on the possible changes in the American Federation of Labor Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) after the defeat of presidential candidate John Kerry. When transformations eventually are made in the structure of the body, they are likely to have a significant impact on the labor federation's Building and Construction Trades Department. President of AFL-CIO John J. Sweeney vows to run for re-election in July 2005 for another five-year term. But there could be a challenger this time.

The article reports that plumbers' union president Martin J. Maddaloni earlier this year side-stepped a government lawsuit alleging a breach of fiduciary duty as a trustee of the Plumbers and Pipefitters National Pension Fund. But new allegations about the union's financial health are roiling, fueled in part by his predecessor and by a former challenger. In October, the union's General Executive Board launched an investigation into charges that Maddaloni and General Secretary-Treasurer Thomas H. Patchell made questionable investments from the union's general fund. In addition to calling for Maddaloni and Patchell's resignation, the former officers claim the federal Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, allows the eight-member board to sue the two officers for damages and other relief.

The article reports that voters of November 2, 2004, U.S. Presidential election will determine the construction initiatives across the United States. With repeated delays in reauthorizing federal transportation spending, states are taking action to spur projects along. There are more than 40 transportation initiatives on state and local ballots for November 2. While it is hard to predict voters' appetite for approving either statewide or local bond or tax measures, the fact that there are so many underscores that transportation is an important issue that needs to be addressed.

The article presents information about the legislative bills passed by the U.S. congress. The list of completed bills includes $140-billion corporate tax-cut measure with a break for architectural and engineering firms and a change in the ethanol-fuel tax that's expected to add more than $3 billion a year to the Highway Trust Fund. Another frustration is finishing only four of the 13 spending measures for fiscal 2005 by the recess. The U.S. hopes the bill will end retaliatory tariffs the European Union has imposed on U.S. exports since March 2004. The bill also removes limits on federal spending for privatized construction of military family housing.

An unusual forum of owners, contractors and labor leaders has joined forces to make changes on union projects that ultimately could increase union market share and please owners and contractors by limiting extended overtime, absenteeism and work disruptions. After more than a year of negotiation, the Construction Users Roundtable Tripartite (CURT) Initiative Report was issued earlier this month. Since January 2003, CURT owners met extensively with top officials from five contractor groups, the AFL-CIO's Building and Construction Trades Department. CURT members collectively spend more than $95 billion each year on construction and maintenance projects. They championed the project because of growing concern that capital, talent and effort on construction projects were not being used effectively.

From the U.S. government's first requests for proposals to rebuild war-torn Iraq last year, contractors hoping for a piece of the massive reconstruction effort have had one thing made perfectly clear to them, that it is each firm's responsibility to provide security for their personnel and the projects under their domain. And a new round of rebuilding contracts will soon be awarded as the number of military forces decreases through troop rotation and coalition plans to depart Iraq in July. As troop numbers decline, the coalition wants newly trained Iraqi security forces to take their place and have more of a stake in the reconstruction effort, says Lieutenant General Robert B. Flowers, chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

U.S. President George W. Bush's proposal to revamp federal immigration policy has hit a nerve in construction. There is disagreement over the extent of illegal worker hires and the need for them but contractor and union executives say reform is long overdue to end costly uncertainties for employers and workers. The proposal so far amounts to little more than what Bush announced in his January 7, 2004 speech. Undocumented workers now in the U.S. will have to pay a fee to sign up for the temporary worker permit. The planned changes in policy would still require legislation.

Sometimes politics and procurement get in the way of each other, which may explain some of the government's delays in issuing the second wave of Iraq construction contracts and releasing the next round of contracts for bidding. But as if hoping to make up for lost time, on January 6, 2004, the United States Agency for International Development awarded a second-phase capital construction contract worth up to $1.82 billion to Bechtel National Inc. The San Francisco-based contractor has been working on infrastructure repair tasks in Iraq since April. Separately, the Pentagon's Iraq Program Management Office said it would issue the long-awaited Requests for Proposals for 10 construction contracts and seven management contracts worth about $5 billion.

In a week that brought jubilation over the capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, new delays in issuing U.S. government contract plans for infrastructure reconstruction raised questions about the program's future. Several military agencies with existing contracting authority, including the Army Corps of Engineers and the Pentagon Renovation Program office, will award the 26 contracts early next year. It is unclear if the February 1 target date to award the contracts will also be postponed. The U.S. Agency for International Development has also delayed award of its second-phase, $1.5-billion construction contract. The Corps also is delaying its award of a second phase, competitive-bid contract for oil sector reconstruction, an add-on to a controversial sole-source contract awarded 1st March to Halliburton Co.'s Kellogg Brown & Root unit.

U.S. President George W. Bush administration decision to back away from enforcing certain air pollution rules that determine when power plants must install new emission controls not only may harm the environment, but will severely hamper the bottom line of construction firms and engineers who retrofit those plants. On November 5 the Environmental Integrity Project, headed by former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)enforcement official Eric Schaeffer, said it had learned from senior officials that the agency would drop pending Clean Air Act enforcement actions and not pursue new cases dealing with that statute's New Source Review provisions. Michael O. Leavitt was sworn in as the new EPA administrator.

The clock is ticking for the federal highway program and the construction firms that rely on it. State transportation agencies are anxiously keeping one eye on the U.S. Congress, hoping lawmakers will avert a cutoff of federal highway funds looming on September 30, 2003. That deadline stems from the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. The massive bill that has pumped more than $220 billion into highway and transit programs since its 1998 enactment expires on that date. In addition, if no extension is enacted, it would inflict pain on FHWA itself. What states, the U.S. DOT and engineering and construction firms really desire is a new, six-year transportation measure that assures a sizable boost in federal aid over TEA-21's.

Nearly 3,000 potential subcontractors showed up at meetings hosted by the construction company Bechtel National Inc. on two continents to learn about construction opportunities in Iraq. As USAID announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will serve as construction manager for the company's rebuilding contract, the contractor held the first of three program supplier conferences in Washington D.C. The May 21 meeting attracted more than 1,800 attendees. About 90% of the work will be subcontracted, says Clifford G. Mumm, company's program manager for the Iraq contract.

The article focuses on the controversy raised by two construction contractors, San Francisco, California-based Bechtel Group Inc. and Pasadena, California-based Parsons Corp., supported by Halliburton Co.'s Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) Inc. unit for the Iraq reconstruction contract USAID. As the war in Iraq advanced into its second week in March 2003, the U.S. Congress was deciding to use more than 75 billion dollar to pay for the conflict, that is, for Iraq reconstruction and U.S. domestic security. Meanwhile, a Corps of Engineers contract with KBR to extinguish oil well fires in Iraq was raising controversy. The firm claimed in its announcement that it had significant experience in fighting oil well fires in Kuwait set during the 1991 Gulf War. But Terry Farley, former president of Bechtel Construction, which Kuwait Oil Co. hired to manage fire suppression then, indicates KBR and Halliburton may have overstated their role. INSET: SPENDING BILLS INCLUDE:.

Discusses the implications of the Iraqi War 2003 on the U.S. construction industry. Construction activities in Iraq as a result of the war; Contractors that have been chosen for the work; Interest of the construction industry in United States Agency for International Development's pending award of a capital reconstruction contract in Iraq.

Focuses on the strategy plotted by U.S. military and civilian officials for rebuilding Iraq after a possible war between the two countries. Goals of the reconstruction plan; Interagency team formed to co-ordinate the strategy; Contract offered to engineering firms for the rebuilding process.