A widespread adoption of lean techniques, integrated teaming and virtual design and construction could be the keys to improving productivity in the construction industry, according to a new report released by the National Research Council. The report, “Advancing the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the U.S. Construction Industry,” focuses on reducing waste in time, cost, materials, energy, skills and labor and offers recommendations on how to promote industry-wide adoption over the next 20 years. + Image Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of labor statistics Construction and non-farm labor productivity index “This is the most important topic in the industry right
In two months, hordes of would-be craft superintendents and construction CEOs will again descend on a unique training facility in Tempe, Ariz., to perfect skills in backhoe operation, bid preparation and workforce management, among other key industry tasks. These prospective managers may be only 4 ft tall and in elementary school, but they wield hardhats, solar panels, business plans and Palm Pilots like the seasoned professionals program boosters hope they choose to become. Slide Show Photo: Junior Achievement Of Arizona Inc. Unique Phoenix facility simulates craft and business challenges. The program is sponsored by the national Junior Achievement (JA) organization,
Lawmakers who support the Employee Free Choice Act, legislation that would make it easier for unions to organize, continue to hold backroom negotiations to find a way to change the bill to avoid a filibuster in the Senate. Construction groups oppose provisions that permit elections without a secret ballot and require binding arbitration to settle disputes. Geoff Burr, vice president of government affairs with Associated Builders and Contractors, says even if some provisions were removed to reach cloture, once the bill goes to the floor, senators can reinstate those provisions by amendment. Kate Cyrul, a spokeswoman for Sen. Tom Harkin
The Obama administration has proposed rules that would encourage agencies to consider project labor agreements (PLAs) on large projects, including economic-stimulus work. The proposed Federal Acquisition Regulation change, published on July 14, says agencies should consider requiring PLAs on jobs of $25 million or more. It follows President Obama’s Feb. 6 directive overturning the Bush administration’s ban on federal PLAs. Labor unions lobbied for the rule change in the 2008 presidential campaign. AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Dept. spokesman Tom Owens says the rule will “be a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our value in certain regions of the
The Construction Users Roundtable will be helping the industry forecast labor supply and demand with a Web-based data-collection and forecasting tool. Owners and contractors who enter data will be able to run forecasts at no charge. The tool is a result of an initiative, commissioned by CURT, and managed by the non-profit Construction Workforce Development Center. About 50 owners have been using the database and inputting demand-side project data since February. The supply side of the model launched in mid-June, and 27 contractors have input craft labor availability data, according to CURT’s workforce consultant, Daniel Groves. The model is available
The deepening economic recession is taking a tremendous toll on construction workers. In May, construction’s unemployment rate jumped to 19.2%, more than double last year’s 8.6% rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The latest unemployment rate represents 1.77 million construction workers who are out of work. In May, total construction employment was 6.3 million, down from 7.3 million a year ago. Source: Bureau Of Labor Statistics. Unemployment Rate For May. Construction Unemployment
The push for alternative energy projects across North America is turning the electrical workers’ union “green” with desire for new federal funding to expand apprentice and journeyman worker training in installing everything from photovoltaic roofs and giant wind turbines to nuclear power reactors. Photo: IBEW Wind-turbine-installation training is set to grow. Photo: IBEW Apprentice electricians learn photovoltaic skills Such training is not new for the joint apprenticeship and training committee (JATC) of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), which jointly fund union training in the U.S. and Canada, but demand for graduates
It may seem as though the number of immigrants on the Gulf Coast has grown since Hurricane Katrina created a need for workers, but there is no hard evidence to determine the population of immigrants, documented or undocumented, says Temple Black, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Photo: Sam Barnes Some feel that the construction industry is exploiting Hispanic workers by paying insufficient wages. Photo: Sam Barnes Immigration officials say that there is no hard evidence to determine the population of immigrants, documented or undocumented, along the Gulf Coast. “If we knew where the illegals were, we would go
In an effort to jump start building projects in New York City and put idle union construction workers back on the job, the leaders of more than 40 different building trades and union employer groups announced on May 29 what they termed a “historic compact” to cut wages of both labor and management and end expensive work rules. Proponents claim the citywide project-labor agreement will cut costs by as much as 21% on the first 12 high-rise and other commercial projects that it covers, representing $2 billion of construction and 10,000 jobs. But some are less enthusiastic about the cost
The gender gap is closing for women science and engineering academics in hiring and tenure at U.S. research universities, but they are still underrepresented in applicant pools and earn less as full professors, says a National Research Council report released on June 2. The study is based on trends at 500 university departments, including civil and electrical en-gineering, and responses from 1,800 academics. The study says women are interviewed and hired at equal or higher rates than men, but fewer apply for tenure-track positions.
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