A proposed rule change by the U.S. Department of Labor is designed to target employee misclassification.
The proposed rule change would rescind a Trump-era rule from 2021. Jessica Looman, Principal Deputy Administrator at the DOL, announced the DOL plans to place an emphasis on protecting low-wage workers from being misclassified as independent contractors. Among the industries the rule is expected to affect are construction, healthcare, trucking, food service and retail.
The Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council unanimously endorsed Gov. Mike DeWine in his re-election bid.
From the shores of Lake Erie down to the Ohio River and many areas in between, Gov. DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted have focused on job creation.
Read MoreThe Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council hosted an event on June 22 to discuss the 21st century workforce for its affiliated union trades.
About 50 building trades leaders from across the state gathered at the IBEW Local 683 Union Hall to attend the conference and learn about the recruitment and retention of members.
Among those in attendance were leaders of regional building trades council, business managers and representees, organizers and JATC training coordinators. Attendees not only listened to speakers, but also had a chance to participate and ask questions.
The keynote speaker was Russ Ormiston, Associate Professor at Allegheny College, who discussed how demographics and labor statistics relate to successful member recruitment in today’s tight labor market.
The Cleveland Clinic announced major construction projects in May set to take place on its main campus, with all work covered by Project Labor Agreements [PLA]. In his State of the Clinic address, Cleveland Clinic CEO and President Tom Mihaljevic, M.D., announced the Cleveland Clinic is investing in multiple capital projects, including the construction of new buildings and the renovation of several facilities in Ohio.
Read MoreOfficials from the Cleveland Clinic held a virtual groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 20 to mark the beginning of construction on a new hospital in Mentor.
The project was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but ground has officially broken, generating expectations of amble work opportunities for local union tradesmen and tradeswomen.
Members of multiple building trades affiliated with the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council stand to benefit from a longstanding relationship with the Cleveland Clinic, as many past Cleveland Clinic projects have been completed under Project Labor Agreements (PLA).
Read MoreThe Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council officially endorsed the Cleveland Indians lease extension for Progressive Field on Aug. 26, including the corresponding stadium upgrade plan that would create jobs for building trades members. Earlier in the month, the Indians announced they reached a tentative deal with the city of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the state of Ohio to renovate the ballpark and extend the team’s lease in Cleveland for at least 15 years. The current lease expires in 2023. The new lease is expected to start in 2022. The county is slated to pay off bonds from the original construction in 2023, coinciding with the expiration of the current lease.
Read MoreMembers of IBEW Local 38 and their signatory contractors recently donated $34,000 in labor to the Women’s Recovery Center, which offers a multitude of services to women struggling with addiction.
The Women’s Recovery Center is an intensive outpatient center in Cleveland dedicated to women, focusing largely on substance abuse disorder. They use a unique approach to recovery, including care for physical health, emotional healing and family reunification.
President Joe Biden used a stop in Cleveland late last month to push harder for Congressional approval of his infrastructure improvement plan.
Speaking to a group at Cuyahoga Community College, the President argued his families and infrastructure plans will create millions of new jobs and reshape the economy – in need of a boost as the U.S. tries to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Major Projects Across Ohio Boost 2021 Construction Outlook
In Ohio, officials closely involved with the union trades are seeing signs of a somewhat positive outlook for 2021, anchored by a number of large projects.
The Columbus area leads the way, with multiple massive, billion-dollar projects underway or set to break ground in 2021.
In 2019, members of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council logged about 6.75 million manhours. C/COBCTC Executive Secretary-Treasurer Dorsey Hager believes they topped that mark in 2020.
Thanks to the ongoing building boom in the area, he anticipates the potential for even more hours worked by affiliated unions in 2021.
Read MoreAshtabula Pig Iron Plant Covered by PLA
A new pig iron plant in Ashtabula will be constructed solely by union construction workers.
Petmin USA signed a Project Labor Agreement with the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council to ensure only highly skilled and highly trained building trades members will construct their first facility in North America.
Read MoreFor the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council (CBCTC), investments in real estate and infrastructure are critical to rebuilding America.
When it comes to revitalizing a city like Cleveland, building and construction trades workers provide more than just skilled labor. The men and women who build Cleveland’s apartment buildings, roadways, tunnels, bridges, and sewers put money back into their communities. “The more job opportunities there are for our members, who are themselves residents of Cleveland, the more we’re boosting the local economy,” Dave Wondolowski, Executive Secretary Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council says.
Read MoreCuyahoga County entered into a Project Labor Agreement with the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council to transform three floors inside the Justice Center into a Central Booking Area. Various trades affiliated with the Cleveland Building Trades will convert 37,400-square-feet of space into an area designed to speed up the processing of suspects and help reduce the jail population. Read more here
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