We would like to thank everyone who helped make the 2022 Annual Building Trades National Recovery Week a success. Recovery Week saved lives and spread awareness to confront substance use disorder and mental health issues in the construction industry–and it continues to make a positive impact.
Tell us about your experience! BTEA Northeast wants your feedback on Recovery Week and how we can improve for the future.
Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo, along with Revere and Boston city officials, joined executives to break ground on the Suffolk Downs development–one of the largest real estate projects in Massachusetts’ history that will ultimately deliver 16.2 million square feet of development.
Mayor Michelle Wu laid out a $2 billion plan to overhaul Boston Public School facilities, including new construction and renovation projects, as well as district-wide upgrades.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is expanding in their Boston hometown by committing to 20-22 Drydock Ave., a $400 million seven-story research and development facility that will be LEED Platinum certified and carbon neutral.
Local 17 SMW Scholarship Winners Announced

This month, Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 awarded 29 substantial scholarships to local high school seniors and college students, totaling $151,000 in both one-year and four-year scholarships.
Total Construction Starts Inch Higher in April

Total construction starts rose 3% in April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $945.8 billion, according to Dodge Construction Network.
White House says $110 billion in infrastructure funds released in first 6 months

The White House on May 16th said it has released $110 billion in funding from the $1 trillion infrastructure package that seeks to fix crumbling roads, expand broadband internet and improve the electrical grid.
Sandra Meninno
Executive Vice President
Cambridgeport Air Systems
Leading HVAC Manufacturer Exec Shares Industry Insights and Tips for Women in the Workforce

Sandra Meninno started working in HVAC manufacturing as an accountant in 1989 and immediately “loved the space.” More than three decades later, Meninno is the President of Cambridgeport Air Systems – an industry-leading HVAC manufacturer based in Georgetown, Massachusetts.
 
Meninno is also Chairperson of BTEA Northeast’s new initiative, BTEA Northeast Women, which recognizes the importance of women in the construction industry with the mission to help them achieve more.
 
She shared her insights on the future of the industry, how to further elevate women in it and more.
BTEA NORTHEAST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM APPLICATIONS DUE THIS MONTH
The Thomas S. Gunning Foundation has established a scholarship program to assist employees, immediate family members of employees and immediate family of BTEA Northeast members who plan to pursue post-secondary education through college or vocational programs.
 
Scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at the accredited post-secondary undergraduate institution of the student’s choice.
 
Application forms must be postmarked by June 30, 2022.

Interested students can access the application below
Supreme Court Reviewing Overtime Pay Laws

On May 2, the Supreme Court of the United States granted an employer’s petition for review to determine whether highly compensated employees are entitled to overtime compensation under the Fair Labor Standards Act if they are paid on a daily rate and not on a salary basis.
 
Legality of Mandatory Employee Meetings Being Reviewed

The National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo indicated in a memo that she is seeking to ban mandatory employee meetings, a tool that has been utilized by employers to inform employees of their rights to resist unionization.
Dept. of Labor Announces New Compliance Assistance Materials

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division this month announced new compliance assistance materials, including a toolkit in both English and Spanish languages, specifically to help construction workers understand their rights and inform employers about their legal obligations.
Boston-area wages grew 6.1% in the last year, the biggest gain since 2006

Boston area wages and salaries from March 2021 to March 2022 grew the fastest they have in 16 years, and overall grew 6.1% in that time, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mass. home prices set more records in April

The median sale prices of both single-family houses and condos in Massachusetts propelled to new record heights in April. The median sale price increased 9.8% from the $510,000 mark established in April 2021 to its new all-time high, the Warren Group said.
Mass. jobs up, unemployment rate down in April
 
The unemployment rate in Massachusetts dropped slightly in April as employers added 10,500 jobs. The labor department announced a 4.1% jobless rate, down from 4.3% in March.
Wooden skyscrapers have become a growing movement in high-rises

The "mass timber" movement is a growing worldwide effort to build high-rises and other buildings out of wood composites rather than steel and concrete, for environmental reasons.

ABOUT BTEA NORTHEAST
The Building Trades Employers’ Association Northeast is the leading voice for the union building trades contractor throughout the New England region. The BTEA encompasses seven different area trade associations that employ tradespeople from several different local building trades unions. 
WWW.BTEA.COM Building Trades Employers’ Association - BTEA