There have been some obstacles as construction unions forming the National Construction Alliance try for a formal launch, now set for May 1.
The main stumbling blocks appear to be conditions of membership and which unions are in or out. On Feb. 14, the laborers’ and operating engineers’ unions announced that they were quitting the AFL-CIO’s Building and Construction Trades Dept. and forming the breakaway group with the carpenters, teamsters, ironworkers and bricklayers (ENR 2/27 p. 12). All of the unions are unhappy with declining union membership and the seeming inability of AFL-CIO and BCTD to deal with it .