Ron Berger, executive director of the Subcontractors Trade Association, New York City, says contractors targeted work rules to reduce costs. “Some [unions] have adopted that idea, and others have not,” he says, estimating that roughly 60% of pacts substantively address work rules. “We need to see more moves in that direction if we expect to be competitive.”

In St. Louis, bricklayers union Local 1 and the Mason Contractors Association reached a deal in July that ended a 30-day strike. The four-year pact provides a 55¢ hike in the first year, 80¢ in the second year and one dollar in each of the final two years. It also allows using Saturdays as a make-up day for work lost due to bad weather. Bricklayers will receive a $5-per-hour premium on makeup days. “It was tough negotiations for both sides, and it has everything to do with the current economic situation we're facing,” says Don Brown, Local 1 business manager.