Employment, wages, training, on-time project delivery, taxpayer  savings are among the many benefits - While Massachusetts’ economy emerges from the Great Recession in better shape than many other states, thousands of people – particularly construction workers – are still unemployed. Thankfully, Gov. Deval Patrick recognizes what some industry insiders, such as the Associated Builders and Contractors of Massachusetts, do not: Project Labor Agreements increase employment pathways and save taxpayers money.

Elizabeth Warren addressed thousands of building trades men and women at the BCTD Legislative Conference on Tuesday. The crowd roared with approval at Warren’s contention that the Republican Party has moved the culture of our nation to one defined by the notion of “I’ve got mine, the rest of you are on your own.”

The Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, announced today its enthusiastic endorsement of the 2012 re-election bid of President Barack Obama.  The announcement comes on the heels of a unanimous vote of the Department's Governing Board of Presidents.

President Obama spoke at the Building and Construction Trades Department Conference about creating good jobs for American workers, who can help our economy grow by rebuilding our nation's roads, bridges, train tracks, and airports. April 30, 2012.

Because today, our values of pride, performance and professionalism truly reflect an altogether higher level of ambition for our unions and our industry.  Our unions have proven, and will continue to prove, that America can, and should be, a country where labor and management can successfully work together in cooperative fashion to achieve great results for business, for workers, and for the community at large.

More than 1,200 high school students will attend the 10th Annual Massachusetts Construction Career Days at the New England Laborer's Union Training Academy to learn about industry job opportunities, including the construction, engineering and environmental fields with both union and open-shop companies.  The event shows students that construction is a great profession - whether their interests lie in math, carpentry, mechanics or science - and that the industry offers rewarding, high-paying jobs.

At an annual cost of nearly $750 million—largely paid for by union members and their contractors—building and construction trades unions run the biggest private-sector training program in the United States.  With a combination of book-work, hands-on learning and tough, constant feedback, the training programs every year enable some 350,000 union apprentices and 200,000 journeymen to learn and hone specialized skills—from operating cranes and earth movers to constructing skyscrapers and ventilation systems.

Congratulations to Louis Rasetta, Business Manager of IUOE Local #4. Lou was recently elected to the position of 14^th General Vice-President of the International Union of Operating Engineers.  Founded in 1896, IUOE today has approximately 400,000 members in 123 local unions throughout the United States and Canada. IUOE is the 10th largest union in the AFL-CIO.

Building Pathways was established under a Project Labor Agreement between the Boston Building Trades Council and Ameresco, Inc. covering a $53 million green retrofit of BHA developments. The program is about increasing access and opportunities in the building trades for BHA residents, women and people of color. It creates career paths that provide family-sustaining wages and benefits for graduates.

An underground economy exists in which unscrupulous employers compete unfairly by paying workers ”off the books”, paying sub-minimum wages, and illegally misclassifying their workers so as to avoid paying withholding taxes, and unemployment or workers’ compensation insurance. These practices put a great strain on those businesses playing by the rules, workers attempting to earn an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work, and community resources.  …a large portion of our enforcement deals with individuals and businesses that willfully and intentionally avoid labor, license and tax laws. While the JTF continues to make great gains in addressing this problem, agency participants understand that there remains much work to be done.