Owners Seek Fixes for Labor and Other Construction Woes
Big construction owners share the plight of their contractors in labor and productivity shortfalls on the jobsite and are pressing colleagues and contractors to find new solutions.
Owner, contractor and labor union officials moved toward that goal at the annual meeting of the Construction Users Roundtable earlier this month in Naples, Fla. Charles Black, president of Tampa Electric Co., a CURT member, noted constructions difficulty in attracting new recruits. "Wages havent kept up with other careers," a situation he says threatens work force stability. Black called for a rise in worker pay. "I am not advocating that owner costs go up. We just need to use wages smartly," he said.