Being water-savvy in the hot weather. “We’re only six or so months into [the pandemic], so we haven’t seen a trend there yet,” Hunter says. For life. But “we have concerns about capital plans for 2022 and 2023,” he notes. LANSING, Mich. — Information recently released by the National Guard Bureau (NGB) indicates that private residential wells in the vicinity of the Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility (GLAASF) near the intersection of Eaton Highway and Bauer Rd, that were sampled earlier this summer, showed no detections of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) or Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). “I would think that more companies would be in distress or expecting tougher times ahead, so they would try to get adjustments on agreements,” he says. Download our free app for Apple and Android. “We anticipated the monetary amount would be smaller, and that’s not the case.”, Between 2012 and 2018, CLRC says average first-year increases in settlements grew gradually from 2% to 2.9%, then flattened there in 2019. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company. In 2020, they cite shortages in fewer than half. Concerns about workforce shortages appear to be easing during the coronavirus pandemic, but compensation for hourly workers is holding steady. The utmost priority is to ensure public health and safety. <ilayer src="https://industry-jobs.enr.com/api/regionalcareercenter/?&searchregion=all&jobpostings=3&layout=4 " width="300" height="150"scrolling="no"></ilayer> ENR Airports & Parking Decks Today “The next cycle—2021 to 2023—will be very interesting if we don’t get an infrastructure bill,” he says. AGC’s Simonson says that given the potential for a future downturn, he is surprised that current labor settlements have been largely unaffected. We’d like to say thank you to all those who are being extra-conscious of their water use and cutting usage wherever possible, especially with the current hot weather and demand being much higher. Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Laborers, carpenters and equipment operators are the most difficult positions to fill. “If increases were exorbitant, we would want to shorten the agreement duration to a year or maybe two. But settlement talks remain heated. “Right now, it looks like a flattening.”. Healthy water. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. “People are genuinely thankful they are employed because so many are hurting right now,” he says. “To be realistic, either side in any negotiation will try to capitalize on current environments,” he says. I want to hear from you. “That is a safe projection for what should be the actual average increase in 2020,” he says. Visit our updated, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. In 2019, average wage hikes were 3.26%, according to its Merit Shop Wage and Benefit Survey. Jack Ramage, executive director of the Ohio Valley Employers Council, says he has negotiated agreements this year with cement masons, bricklayers and plumbers and pipefitters. “That’s been the trend.” He says these are preferred by both unions and employers “because it gives us more predictability.”, Ramage says one significant difference in 2020 negotiations compared with the last recession is that increases were already relatively modest before current talks began. But increases have been reasonable, and we will extend those agreements as long as we can.”, Peters suggests that a similar trend exists nationwide. When analyzing only comparable pacts by craft and location from 2019 to 2020, Peters says data shows a flat trend average increase of 2.6% for both years. Robbie Hunter, president of California’s Building and Construction Trades Council, says while he has heard employer groups talk about reducing agreement terms or adding reopeners for wages, so far pacts have held steady. “The results of this sampling are good news,” said Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers, Adjutant General and Director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veteran’s Affairs (DMVA). Manage your account online. This year, firms estimate hourly raises of 2.91%. Please select one of the options below which will allow you to select which type of information product or service that you wish to apply for. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the ENR audience. Our aim is to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for. Previously, during the ongoing NGB led investigation at GLAASF, it was determined that ground water flows southeast from the airfield. Carey Peters,  executive director of the council, says so far, total first-year settlement hikes, in aggregate, for 2020 appear to have fallen to 2.6% through mid-September from 2.9% in 2019. I've got no water / Low pressure; My water looks / Smells strange; Water quality; Check your water quality / hardness; Do you supply my water? Contact your local rep. It’s no secret that the managing applications for payment is one of the most complex and frustrating processes contractors face today. 30 July 2020. “It’s too early to say if we will see a reduction in the rate of increases for union crafts,” he says. “My sense is that employers are trying to capitalize on the uncertainty.” For now, LaBarbera sees significant employment in the New York City construction market through the end of 2021, barring another COVID-19 surge and subsequent shutdowns. Please click here to continue without javascript.. 5 Things General Contractors Can Do Today To Reduce Stress Over Subcontractor Pay Apps, 2021 BNi Green Building Square Foot Costbook. Data finds no detections of PFOS/PFOA in off-site drinking water wells at Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility. Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Nonunion firm compensation for hourly craftworkers “appears to be relatively stable,” says Jeff Robinson, president of compensation research firm PAS. Sean Gallup/Getty Images. For life. Historically, employer groups have pushed for shorter settlement terms during periods of economic uncertainty, such as the 2008 recession, Peters says. Ken Simonson, AGC chief economist, says that in 2019, firms reported 19 of 20 possible craft positions as hard to fill. You must have JavaScript enabled to enjoy a limited number of articles over the next 30 days. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. For now, Breslin expects unions will remain reasonable during contract negotiations. As a result, statistics show union and nonunion contractors—on average—continue to offer stable yearly compensation hikes. Out of an abundance of caution, 14 private wells downgradient of the facility were sampled and tested for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing, This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. While many projects move ahead, the threat of a future construction downturn remains. “The Michigan National Guard remains committed to maintaining readiness while protecting Michiganders and the environment, with a special emphasis on protecting Michigan’s water.”. Mark Breslin, CEO of United Contractors, a large Bay Area employer group, says that because construction has been mostly deemed essential through the pandemic, “there hasn’t been a significant loss of volume and momentum.” Still, with state budget deficits reaching crippling levels due to lost tax revenue, construction budgets are likely to be cut back. “It may reflect a lag in perception about how long the industry will be affected by the effects of the pandemic.”. Read More Gary LaBarbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, says unions and employers joined this spring to address COVID-19 jobsite concerns, including a signed three-month agreement that addressed work rules for staggered starts and onsite protective measures. About 52% of contractors still have a hard time filling some or all hourly craft positions, says the most recent workforce survey by the Associated General Contractors of America and Autodesk, the lowest level of reported shortage since the measure began in 2013. “There was much more variance in cost structures between 2008 and 2010 compared to current day with modest rates of increase,” he says. “The increases have been modest for several years,” he says, noting that most agreements are between 2% and 2.5%. “From an optics and timing standpoint, I don’t think anyone will come pounding the table in the next few years.”. But in the second and third quarters, Peters says data shows settlement increases are generally flat or slightly declining. By comparison, 80% of firms reported difficulty filling craft positions in the 2018 and 2019 surveys.